Fires Rekindling
by jesser17
Summary: Things are not well in Konoha. A coup lands an unwanted man as Hokage, and Naruto goes missing. What happens when a certain Uchiha finds him? SasuNaruSasu. Spoiler warnings for 428 . Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

*Gulps* Ok! Here's my first fanfic....Nothing else to say... I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

**----- Fires Rekindling -----**

Prelude

Something wasn't right. Naruto had been running through the forest on the edge of the Fire country for the past hour, searching for the man who would receive the scroll he was carrying. Only problem: there wasn't any such man. His senses desperately trying to pick up any sign of human life, Naruto continued his search, growing more frustrated and nervous by the minute.

"The_ hell_" he hissed.

It was strange enough to be sent off on a mission by himself, especially in the few weeks that Danzou had taken the role of Hokage (not that Naruto would ever recognize him as such). But to have no one around so that he could even finish his mission? That was very unusual. And to be meeting in such a remote location? Even more unusual. Yep. Something was _definitely_ not right.

Landing on the top of one of the trees, Naruto surveyed the area. The sun was just setting, bathing the forest in rays of gold and orange. But what piqued Naruto's interest was the small signs of movement in the trees around him. That, and the oppressive feeling of dread that had suddenly washed over his body. It seemed that he had been followed, and whoever his pursuers were, they were good. Knowing that there was no avoiding it, Naruto waited for the imminent attack.

There were more of them than he expected. And all ANBU, no less.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" shouted the cat-masked leader. "You are hereby placed under arrest and are to come with us."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Under what charges?"

"That will be discussed later. Now come with us, these are the Hokage's orders."

And that's when it all came together. The fake mission, the remote forest, the dozen or so ANBU agents, Danzou's habit of calling him "Jinchurriki"… Finally, Naruto understood.

"I'm sorry" he growled. "I take orders from the _real_ Hokage, not from some creepy old guy."

At a nod from the captain, the ANBU began to spread out, preparing for an attack. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice in this, Jinchurriki" he sneered.

"Guess not" replied Naruto. He grinned, and began to form a hand seal…

Chapter 1

Leaping swiftly from tree branch to tree branch, Sasuke, along with his team, Hawk, made his way to the Fire country, and then to Konoha. At last, after about 4 months of planning and waiting, they could make their move against Konoha and its corrupt leaders. Sasuke clenched his fists at his sides at the mere thought of that terrible betrayal: the order of the Uchiha clan massacre. An order made by the so-called elders and their puppet Hokage.

'_And now that old man Danzou is the Hokage. Perfect.'_

At the moment, however, he and his team were merely gathering information. As convenient as it was for Danzou to be the new Hokage, it did change the plan somewhat. There was no knowing, after all, what changes had been made to Konoha's security under the war-mongering old man.

As they were approaching the Heaven and Earth bridge, everyone in Team Hawk suddenly stopped. They stared in surprise at the scene before them.

It was a scene of complete destruction. Trees were uprooted and were laying around like kindling. Great fissures tore up the earth in some places, and in the middle of it all, a large crater of some sort. Despite their shock, it was apparent to the team that the damage had been done some time ago.

"Juugo, what happened here?" asked Sasuke. His larger teammate was studying a small bird on his finger.

"They say it was a battle. A battle between monsters" he answered. "One of them sounds like Orochimaru. The other…" he paused. "Some sort of demon. Like a fox, they say, with a terrible chakra, that brought down trees and --" Juggo suddenly looked up.

"And what?" asked an always-impatient Karin, her arms folded.

"The bridge" said Juggo softly. "They say that the Heaven and Earth bridge was completely destroyed."

"Eh? Really?" asked Suigetsu, looking up from rearranging the sword on his back.

"It doesn't matter anyway" said Sasuke shortly. "Let's go."

But he couldn't shake off the feeling that he knew exactly who that demon was, and when the battle had happened. It had been over a year ago already, when Team 7 had tried to "rescue" him from Orochimaru.

As they looked out at the destroyed remains of the bridge, Sasuke remembered overhearing a conversation between Orochimaru and Kabuto.

"_Chakra. He destroyed that with pure chakra" whispered Kabuto. "Are you sure we should have left him alive? That weakened state he was in when he arrived here --"_

"_No" interrupted Orochimaru. "I'm curious as to how this will all play out. It seems I have underestimated the Jinchuuriki. And besides…" there was a brief pause. "If he had released those tails again, I don't know if I _could_ have killed him…"_

The wind howled through the canyon, blowing past the silent Team Hawk, and its calm, cool leader. Sasuke frowned down at the remains of the bridge, strewn about on the canyon floor. '_Naruto'…_

**********

"What the hell do you mean, it doesn't exist?!" shouted an enraged Sakura. The pink-haired medical nin was glaring at her teammate Sai, who was smiling.

"It means exactly what you said" he said brightly. "The entrance to the hideout doesn't exist in this plane. I guess you could say that it, and the entire hideout, is invisible."

Sakura snarled. "If you're screwing with us -- "

"Sakura, please calm down" said Yamato, holding his arm in front of Sakura. She obeyed her superior grudgingly, and settled on scowling at Sai instead.

"I've heard of techniques that can do this" Yamato continued. "It involves messing with inter-dimensional space, am I right?" Sai nodded. Behind him, a quiet Kakashi looked up.

"Techniques like that are extremely difficult. Danzou must be taking a lot of precautions" he stated quietly. "If that's the case, then this is very likely the place that we're looking for."

"I assure you, it is" said a still-smiling Sai. "After all, I've seen his new … project there myself." There was a long pause as the entire team looked at the Root member. They were remembering what they had learned only a few hours before, back in Konoha.

"_I know where Naruto is" said Sai, happy and blunt as always. "Now do you want to follow me?"_

_"You could have told us that in the first place!" Sakura hissed. Being worried and overworked for months was taking an obvious strain on her emotions. "We could have gathered other ninjas weeks ago! We could be rescuing him right now! Not following you around just to see where it is!" Her voice got louder and louder as she ranted at Sai, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "Ever since Naruto went missing, we've been desperately looking for something, anything, that could lead us to him. We know it was Danzou! Ever since he led that coup against Tsunade-sama things have gone wrong. All this security, breaking alliances, and then Naruto missing! You know how Danzou always saw him. A demon! Just some monster to be used…" Her voice trailed of as tears formed at the corners of her eyes._

"_Sakura" said Sai quietly. She looked up in surprise at the sound of sincerity in his voice – a rare thing indeed. "Naruto's been gone for months now. If I had just told you right away, what would have happened?"_

"I see." murmured Kakashi. "It seems you were right, Sai. I had no idea Danzou would go this far. And right in front of Konoha, no less."

"Acting rashly, without studying the hideout first, we would have staged a rescue mission to somewhere that we didn't know at all." murmured Yamato.

"See?" said Sai, smiling once more. "You would have only gone to your deaths. You have no idea what's going on in there. And until recently, neither did I." For a moment, Sai looked thoughtful. Then he looked at Kakashi.

"We should rest here for now" he said. "I'll show the entrance to you tomorrow, before heading in myself."

As he unrolled his sleeping mat, Kakashi thought he heard something, but then he noticed Sakura. Her hands were shaking as she held them out to the small fire. Kakashi sighed.

'Poor thing…'

In the trees far above them, a lone figure stood, watching. He had heard everything, and his Sharingan eyes were now fixed on Sai, waiting for him to make his move.

**********

Just as the first signs of dawn began to light up the sky, Sai was already walking silently away from his sleeping companions. Suppressing his chakra as much as he could, he leapt up into the trees, moving through them quickly, making almost no sound as he leapt from branch to branch.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a kunai whizzed right by his head, embedding itself into the tree beside him. Without missing a beat, Sai dived off the tree branch, landing on the forest floor below. Four figures landed right after him, forming a circle, surrounding him.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun!" said Sai brightly, "It's been a while --"

"You work for Danzou, correct?" interrupted Sasuke. "You're in Root?" Sai's smile faded, and he looked levelly at Sasuke.

"Yes. Found a sudden interest in Danzou have you?" His smile returned, as bright as ever. "Don't tell me you're running to gain power from him too -- "

He was interrupted by an ice-cold kunai at his throat and an even colder glare from the Uchiha.

"What's in the hideout?" Sasuke asked. Everyone stood motionless. Silent and watchful, they carefully studied Sai, looking for any hint of a lie, or worse, an attack. All they saw, however, was a smile.

"A weapon."

"Guards?"

"No."

"Then who's in there?"

"Only 15 of us, working on the development of the weapon."

"And what is this weapon?"

"I couldn't say…" The pressure from the kunai at his throat increased when Sai said nothing further.

"Tell me."

"How about I show you?" Sai whispered. The Uchiha's eyes narrowed in suspicion. It wasn't like a shinobi to give away the location of a powerful weapon. Not that it mattered, with an Uchiha demanding information. Still, Sasuke was unsure.

"I can't say anything else," continued the Root shinobi. "But really, I must go. Follow me if you'd like, I won't stop you." And with surprising speed that shocked everyone in Hawk, Sai made a strange hand sign and disappeared, only to reappear a moment later several yards away from the group. Sasuke recovered first, and looked at his hands. _'Ink?'_

"I see," he said softly. "You can teleport, but with a very strange technique. I'm surprised." For the upteenth time, Sai smiled…. And took off at top speed toward the hideout. Sasuke smirked.

"Follow him."

**********

As the sun's rays began to light up the sky in dazzling shades of pink and yellow, Sasuke and his team finally arrived at Sai's destination.

Karin stopped dead, looking around in confusion.

"I can feel his chakra, and several others, but…"

"Where'd he go?" asked a shocked Suigetsu. "He just disappeared, didn't he?"

"Relax, he just went through this door, right in front of us" Sasuke stated calmly. He pointed at a small smear of ink, slowly dripping down what at first looked like thin air, about 4 feet off the ground.

"Confident, isn't he?" remarked Suigetsu. "It's probably a trap, you know."

"No, I don't think so" said Sasuke quietly. "He wasn't lying about the number of ninjas earlier. I think he's challenging us."

Karin snorted. "What, does he really believe that we can't handle 4 Konoha platoons? The freaking idiot. Let's just go." And without any further discussion, she led the way into the hideout, pushing the invisible "door" open.

As the team stepped inside, they were surprised to find that it seemed to be underground, similar to one of Orochimaru's hideouts. No windows, no nice floors. Just like a hollowed out cave with torches lining the walls for light. There was nothing to do but go forward, down the hallway right in front of them. Quietly, stealthily, Team Hawk made their way into the heart of the hideout. When they finally reached a fork, they paused, looking at the three different ways to go. Karin spoke first.

"The hallway straight ahead and the hallway to our right have people's chakra very nearby" she murmured. "Sai's chakra is coming from the right… looks like he's headed this way. Someone's with him. Do we take them out?" Sasuke seemed to consider for a moment.

"No. We wait." And with that, he turned around facing the way that they had just come, motioning to Suigetsu as he did so.

"Take out the torches on this side, I'll take them out on the other. We need darkness."

And with that, the two shinobi moved with surprising speed; Suigetsu using water, and Sasuke using a fire-suppressant technique. Within seconds, the hallway was completely dark, only barely illuminated by the torches lining the walls of the branching hallways in front of the team.

Just at that moment, two pairs of footsteps along with low voices, were heard coming down the hallway to their right.

Sasuke nodded to his team, and as one, they leapt silently into the dark hallway; lying close to the floor, or standing pressed against the walls. They waited, hardly breathing in the dark, damp air, for only moments before the two Root ninjas appeared.

"…is getting more and more difficult to control, as you will see later. We now have to take much longer to draw it out," the masked ninja next to Sai stated. "And so I don't need to remind you again of how important it is that you're here, reporting, at every stage of the process. It's becoming very unpredictable now -- " The ninja paused, frowning at the dark hallway.

"Oh? Now the torches are burning out," Sai said, grinning. "If this weapon is so important, the facility needs to kept in better order."

"Mind your tongue" snapped the other ninja. "And quit with the fake smiles. You're in enough trouble as it is. Be grateful that Danzou favors you so much."

"Yes, senpai" Sai murmured.

The two shinobi turned to the right, down another hallway. Just before getting out of easy earshot, however, Sai paused, and spoke in a voice much louder than necessary.

"Convenient, isn't it? Looking through the side door at the weapon in action? That's where we just were, right? It brings us much closer than up at the observation booth."

"Which is where we're headed right now" the other shinobi said shortly. "Now let's hurry, we're about to start."

They continued down the hallway, leaving Sasuke and his team alone.

Suigetsu gritted his teeth. "He's messing with us, isn't he? That bastard really is overconfident."

"Don't worry" said Sasuke, obviously annoyed at Sai's behavior as well. "You have my permission to kill him."

Karin ran a hand through her hair distractedly as she emerged from the dark hallway. "Let's just get this over with you guys. I've already had my share of dark, damp places – Wait, what the hell is that?" She suddenly grew rigid and looked down the hallway to their right. What she felt disturbed her. The chakra was too sinister, and too similar to a previous encounter that had almost killed her and her entire team. For the first time since then, she had a rush of foreboding.

"Karin, what is it?" Sasuke's voice brought her back with a start.

Frowning, she answered. "It feels like a – a Jinchurriki, like the 8-tails, but…"

There was no need for Karin to explain further, however. Suddenly, the level of that sinister chakra raised dramatically, so that it was easily picked up by the other team members.

"What the f --" stammered Suigetsu, but he was cut off by Sasuke, who had suddenly taken off at full speed toward the source of the – for him – all too familiar chakra. Nervously, his team members followed.

They ran down the dark hallway, their nerves on end as the chakra's strength increased. As they neared a heavy iron door at the end of the hallway, it seemed as though the chakra was permeating everything, giving the very air an eerie sort of red glow. Sasuke reached the door first, and peered through a small window at its center… He didn't like what he saw. He didn't like it one bit.

'Fuck'

**********

Juugo, the ever-quiet member of Sasuke's team, watched his leader carefully. The nature and strength of the red chakra was overwhelming, and Juugo feared he would react to it with a sinister chakra of his own. The very sight of Sasuke calmed him, however. At the moment, the Uchiha's face was bathed in that red glow, but what intrigued Juugo was the look on his face. To most people, Sasuke looked calm and impassive, but to Juugo, he was clearly very upset. His body was tense, and his eyes, in their Sharingan mode, held an emotion that Juugo had never seen before.

"Sasuke, what --?"

"_Naruto_" he hissed. It was as through his team was no longer there.

Juggo frowned, and peered into the window beside Sasuke.

It was horrifying. In the center of a large room was a young man, with a mess of blond hair. He was chained at the wrists; the chains, pulling his arms away from his sides, were attached to two large posts on either side of him, effectively holding him in place. His shirt was torn and ruined, and he looked beaten and completely exhausted.

There was no doubt that he was a Jinchurriki. A strange cloak of that red chakra covered his thin and scarred body, forming behind him into a single tail. A single tail, Juugo noticed, that was quickly being joined by a second. The Jinchurriki began to struggle, pulling at the chains, his tails whipping about furiously. The door seemed soundproof, but still, Juugo could hear faint shouting from inside. Whoever he was, the man clearly did not want his power to be released.

"They're forcing it out of him"

Juugo jumped and turned around. Karin stood behind him and was staring, transfixed, at the sight before her through the window.

"This must be the weapon. They're trying to harness and control the demon inside that guy" she murmured.

"It won't work" said Sasuke quietly, his eyes never leaving the struggling figure inside. "That's the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki."

Karin stared at him. "What? Are you serious -- " Just then, the third tail formed.

A wave of chakra slammed into the door, cracking the window, and driving everyone back. Inside the room, Sasuke could see Naruto beginning to put strain on the chains holding him. Fangs bared, dripping with blood and saliva, he was snarling, struggling with all his might to pull down the posts. The red chakra whipped about wildly as Naruto's anger increased, and a fourth tail began to slowly emerge.

Unnoticed by Sasuke, Karin was shaking uncontrollably, trying to shield herself from the overpowering chakra that reeked of the need to kill. She was clearly upset, because she chose Suigetsu as a shield.

"Hey! What're you…" Suigetsu trailed off at the stricken look on Karin's face, and decided that, for the moment, he didn't mind.

Still, Sasuke was unmoving. He could only watch, as Naruto began to lose consciousness and allowed the Kyuubi further control. The room seemed to tremble at the force of the Kyuubi's chakra. As the fear in Naruto's eyes changed to fury, the chains began to break. And for the briefest moment, Sasuke felt a rush of fear.

*********

Juugo let out a breath that he didn't even realize he was holding as the Kyuubi's chakra slowly began to dissipate. Apparently, the strange room that the Jinchurriki was imprisoned in had some sort of emergency response system. Just as the fourth tail began to form, causing the chains to break, the room began to seal away the demon's chakra. It wasn't easy to watch. The Jinchurriki was obviously in great pain, and in a terribly weak state. As the last of the red cloak disappeared, he slumped forward, his body held up by the chains – chains that had somehow repaired themselves, Juugo noted.

Just then, a door from the other side of the room opened, revealing a cloaked, masked shinobi entering the room slowly. He paused in front of the chained man and ran his hands up and down the chains holding him, checking for any signs of damage. Calmly, he next moved to one of the pillars, and began to press something, suddenly tightening the chains holding the Jinchuuriki. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, carefully noting this. And noting also that, despite the numerous injuries covering Naruto, the masked ninja was ignoring him completely.

Sasuke blinked as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Juugo looking at him with some concern. Frowning, Sasuke looked down to see that his hands were balled into fists, and that he was trembling. He swallowed, trying to relax, wondering how the hell he had allowed himself to get so upset in the first place. Sasuke didn't have long to wonder. His head snapped up at the sound of a very hard punch.

"Filthy _monster_" the masked ninja hissed. Although the Jinchuuriki was barely conscious, it was still extremely satisfying to give him some extra punishment. 'Payback,' the ninja called it. And as long as those chains kept the monster fully in place, he could swallow his fear and give the Kyuubi vessel what he thought he deserved. Feeling more confident, the ninja grinned and punched the vessel again. And again. He was laughing now and, grabbing the Jinchuuriki's head, kneed him once, in the stomach.

Feeling satisfied, the masked shinobi straightened up, and decided to punch the vessel one more time, just for the rush he got. He pulled his fist back, shifted his body weight, and then –

"Wha?!"

Sasuke's katana skewered him perfectly, giving the masked ninja only just enough time to realize he'd been stabbed before sending chidori through the blade. The unknown ninja's life ended with a flash of light and the crackling of lightning.

Sasuke looked down at Naruto. Chained and bleeding, he appeared to be unconscious. Sasuke was surprised, then, when his old teammate looked up. Dark, onyx eyes were pinned by the force of light, cerulean ones. Naruto held his gaze for only a moment, before dropping his head, giving in at last to the darkness that overwhelmed him.

Blinking in surprise, Sasuke looked down at the still form of Naruto. He could've sworn he heard Naruto whisper something, something that sounded like, "_Sasuke_…"

There was no time to ponder, however. Sasuke realized that they had little time. As his teammates entered the chamber, he walked to the pole that the masked nin had messed with earlier and pulled the lever to release the chains holding Naruto. As though in slow motion, Naruto fell forward as the chains dissipated. Before hitting the hard floor, however, Sasuke was suddenly beneath him, catching Naruto on his back.

Shifting slightly to accommodate for the weight, the Uchiha stood and nodded shortly to his teammates. As one unit, they made a break for the hallway.

Running down the dark corridor, Karin strained to feel the close presence of any pursuers, but was surprised, and slightly worried, to find that there were none. Unknown to her, or any of Team Hawk, a smiling Sai was at the observation booth that overlooked the room that had once held Naruto. Various Root shinobi were laying, unconscious, around him – most with odd snakes made of ink around their necks.

"Take care of him, Uchiha" Sai murmured. "Gods only know, he needs it."

Just as he spoke, a burst of electricity and a crash signaled Team Hawk's successful escape, with Naruto safely among them.

**********

This will be continued, probably as a two or three shot. I hope you liked it! Reviews would be awesome!


	2. Chapter 2

Whew! Sorry, updating took me longer than I thought. Anyway, here's chapter 2. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it

Chapter 2

Karin was never one to doubt Sasuke on anything. As they rushed through the forest with a particularly dangerous demon vessel, however, she had to doubt his judgment, just a little. Breaking into a hideout and stealing something so dangerous and unpredictable was very, well, rash. Not that Sasuke couldn't be rash, but this seemed rather 'unSasuke-ish' to Karin.

'_He could be saving this guy. Maybe Sasuke's showing his soft side?_'

Karin dismissed the thought as fast as it came. She had tried to make him reveal his soft side before and it hadn't worked at all. Besides, his cold, calculating ways made him that much more attractive…

"Karin!" Suigetsu snapped Karin out of her musings. "Pay attention, damn it!"

She was about to make a nasty retort, but noticed that everyone had stopped. Sasuke was already on the forest floor, looking at her impatiently as he laid the Jinchuuriki down. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Karin landed beside him.

"We should be safe at least for the time being," he stated. "Karin, quickly perform some first aid. We need to check on the extent of his injuries."

Karin nodded numbly and set to work. As she began to perform her medical ninjustu, she noticed that Sasuke hadn't moved from Naruto's side. Instead, he was actually moving closer, leaning over the Jinchuuriki's head, his face only inches from the blonde's. Karin gulped.

"Uh, Sasuke… What are you --?"

"I'm checking on the seal," he replied shortly. Very carefully, he was forcing one of the Naruto's eyelids open. Feeling embarrassed once again, Karin turned back to her work, wondering exactly how Sasuke could check on a seal holding back the Kyuubi's power.

**********

Sasuke was finding it difficult to reach that strange chamber holding the Kyuubi. Somehow, it was harder to do when Naruto was unconscious. Focusing his chakra as much as possible, his Sharingan eyes squinting, Sasuke finally detected a small amount of red chakra. Holding onto that, he followed the source until he arrived in a familiar dark, damp hallway. Pipes crisscrossed the ceiling, dripping water onto the flooded floor. Walking forward cautiously, Sasuke approached the chamber holding the demon.

The Uchiha peered around a corner into the room from his place behind a wall, deciding that it was probably best to stay undetected. His eyes narrowed when he felt only a small amount of the Kyuubi's chakra, which had nearly overwhelmed him last time. Worried, he studied the seal on the demon's cage. It was still intact. Good. Satisfied, Sasuke was about to retreat when his eyes landed on a figure crouched in front of the cage. It was Naruto.

'_What is he doing here?_'

Just then, the Kyuubi spoke.

"Weak brat," he growled. He sounded exhausted. "To have let something like this happen to me… Unforgivable."

Shakily, Naruto stood. "Shut up. You stupid fox…" He was exhausted as well. "Quit being so damn arrogant…" His strength gone, Naruto fell back down, too tired to move. There were a few moments of complete silence as the fox demon seemed to study him. Then he chuckled, very softly.

"Idiot," he growled. "Quit wasting your strength. You know we both don't have enough chakra for this…" A small stream of chakra flowed from the demon's cage to Naruto's still form. "And I can't let you die just yet. So…" The red chakra enveloped Naruto as the Kyuubi's voice grew fainter. "So don't you…give up…either…"

**********

Sasuke blinked, slowly. He was back outside, looking at Naruto. He felt strange, as though he had seen and overheard something that he shouldn't have. Like he had eavesdropped on a private moment. Mentally shaking himself, Sasuke looked up at Karin.

"How is it?"

"He has suffered a great deal of internal damage," she stated. "I'll need to inspect him more thoroughly later, but he seems stable, at least right now."

"And the Jinchuuriki?" interrupted Suigetsu. "He isn't gonna go crazy on us, is he?"

"No, everything's fine," answered Sasuke. He picked the blonde up again and settled him on his back. He walked a few steps away from his team before he stopped and turned around.

"And by the way," he said with the smallest traces of a smirk, "This Jinchuuriki. His name's Naruto."

'_He knows him?!_' thought Karin and Suigetsu at the same time.

Juugo didn't really think anything at first. But as he and his team resumed traveling, he considered the young man that Sasuke was carrying. '_Naruto. Interesting name…_'

**********

The sickening sound of a punch rang out in the quiet forest, followed by crash.

"_Sai_!" snarled an extremely pissed off Sakura. "Give me one reason! One reason why I shouldn't break your neck right now, you filthy scumbag! You've double-crossed us one too many times!" She was shouting at a pile of wood and branches where a tree once stood. Sai was barely visible, half buried in the rubble.

"A reason?" He grunted as he pushed a log off his chest. "I think I can give you that. How about this: by not letting you interfere, I've ensured Naruto's safe escape." He tried to smile, but it turned into a wince when he felt a splinter in his cheek (ouch!).

Sakura stood, dumbfounded. "What are you talking about? Where the hell is he?"

"He's with Sasuke."

_Crack!_ Sakura had tried to punch Sai again, but he managed to dodge this time. Sakura's fist collided with a tree branch instead, breaking it in half.

"If this is some kind of sick joke -- "

"I assure you, it's not."

Behind the two younger ninjas, Kakashi and Yamato stood quietly, both having made the wise decision of staying away from the conflict. Kakashi, thinking that he was maybe getting too old for this; Yamato, thinking that maybe it was Sakura who was the most dangerous member of his team.

"Kakashi!" shouted Sai. "Would you please come over here for a minute?"

Feeling apprehensive, Kakashi stepped forward.

"Sasuke and his team passed by here with Naruto," the Root ninja stated. "If you brought out your ninja dogs, I'm sure they could lead us to them, right?"

Sakura frowned. "So this isn't a joke?"

"No, it's not."

"So he's with Sasuke-kun," she breathed. "But why… I don't understand…"

"We've got to find them," stated Yamato. He stood behind Sakura and looked at her with concern. "I know that you still have hope for your old teammate, Sakura. But Sasuke… he's dangerous. I don't know why he rescued Naruto. But we can't assume that it's the reason you think. He nearly killed Naruto last time they met, remember? He knows what kind of power Naruto has. Plus, he's been affiliated with Akatsuki…"

Everyone stood quietly for a while, lost in thought. They hated the possibility that Yamato brought up.

"I'd hate to think that Sasuke would do that to an old teammate, but…" murmured Kakashi.

Sakura clenched her fists. "It won't happen. It won't. We don't know what Sasuke-kun's motives are, and besides…" She looked up with a determined smile. "Naruto won't let anything bad happen. He's gonna bring back Sasuke-kun. Naruto… is strong."

Kakashi smiled. '_They grow up so fast!_' He drew blood and began to form the hand seals needed to summon an old friend.

"Yo!"

"Hello, Pakkun!" Kakashi greeted brightly. "Would you care to do us a favor? Sasuke's got Naruto. We need to find them as soon as possible." He looked up and nodded to his teammates. "Let's go, shall we?"

**********

It was late afternoon when Team Hawk finally reached the Uchiha hideout.

'_Well, more like a ruin,_' thought Suigetsu, scanning the area. He stood on the roof, looking out over the surrounding forest. He had to admit, as old and rickety as it was, this particular hideout was a good choice. Made entirely out of stone, it looked as if it served as a fort at one time. Suigetsu would have liked to ask Sasuke about it, but the Uchiha hated to be asked about his clan.

In the room below him, Suigetsu could hear Sasuke speaking quietly with Karin, who was preparing to inspect and heal Naruto more thoroughly. '_Naruto._' It sounded so familiar, but he just couldn't quite place where he'd heard the name before. Suigetsu sighed. He'd seen that look on Sasuke's face before, too. That look that he had whenever he looked at the Jinchuuriki. But, like the name, he just couldn't quite remember. Perhaps that damned fish tank he was put in at Orochimaru's had messed with his brain somehow.

"You're awfully quiet. It's not like you."

Suigetsu turned around at Sasuke's voice. "You should talk," he said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Hn."

Suigetsu rolled his eyes. '_Expressive as always. Secretive bastard_.'

"How are things up here?"

"Nothing yet. I think we lost them."

"Good." For a while, Sasuke looked lost in thought. Suigetsu, meanwhile, wondered if it was a good idea to ask the Uchiha any questions. He seemed rather tense.

Suigetsu decided to try. "So how do you know that guy anyway?"

Sasuke was quiet for a while, apparently deciding whether he should answer or not.

"He was a part of my team, in Konoha," he said finally.

Well that was something, at least. "Your team? So he was with you when you defeated Zabuza-senpai?"

"I suppose so."

Suigetsu was about to ask Sasuke for some details, but apparently the interview was over.

"Suigetsu, help Karin downstairs. I'll take over out here."

The swordsman sighed. '_Figures._'

As his teammate left, Sasuke took in a deep breath. He didn't know why, but he needed some fresh air. His head just didn't seem as clear as usual, and for some reason the sight of his ex teammate in that condition bothered him. He tried to remember what it was about Naruto that made him feel so off, but just couldn't. He supposed that trying to forget him for so long made it hard to remember him again.

Juugo walked from the other side of the building to stand beside Sasuke.

"You really aren't acting like yourself, you know," he said quietly.

Sasuke sighed. "What do want, Juugo?"

"I think you know already. You aren't handing him over to Akatsuki, are you." It wasn't a question. When Sasuke made no move to say anything, Juugo continued. "Not that I really mind, but the rest of the team doesn't like being left in the dark. What do you plan on doing with Naruto? You seem to know him, but isn't he dangerous?"

"Dangerous…" Sasuke murmured. "No, not dangerous. The seal is intact, and Naruto knows better than to use that power anyway. Even if he tried to, I can be his 'prison,' just like I am to you."

Juugo nodded silently. "I can never thank you enough for what you've done for me," he said quietly.

Sasuke looked at his larger teammate with some surprise. "There's no need to thank me," he answered. "We need you in this team, after all."

Again, Juugo nodded. The two of them stood in silence for several minutes, watching as the sun began to sink low on the horizon.

After a while, Juugo spoke. "That guy, Naruto, has unbelievable power," he said, his eyes never leaving the horizon. "My own curse pales in comparison. That's why I pity him." Sasuke looked at Juugo quizzically, but said nothing. "That power is nothing to be jealous of," Juugo continued. "I can only imagine what kind of a burden it must be." He paused, and looked Sasuke in the eye. "Sasuke. I don't know what Madara wants with the Kyuubi, but please. Don't let him get a hold of it. Terrible power like that just shouldn't be messed with, no matter what."

Before Sasuke could say anything, Juugo turned and walked back downstairs, leaving the Uchiha alone with his thoughts. For a while, he just stood there, unmoving. But soon, the sound of Karin and Suigetsu arguing – as usual -- caught Sasuke's attention, and with a grimace, he turned and walked downstairs as well.

Upon the Uchiha's entrance, Suigetsu and Karin immediately fell silent. They knew better than to test the patience of an irritable Sasuke. Beside them, Naruto was laying on a makeshift bed of an extra cloak and a small pack for a pillow. He had a wet towel on his forehead, and was wrapped with bandages around his chest and right arm. Various ointments, bandages, bowls, and herbs lay strewn about around him, and a small fire was heating a kettle of water. There was an IV drip prepared next to him as well, and Karin was just inserting the needle into his forearm. At Sasuke's raised eyebrow, she flushed.

"Wh-what?" she sputtered. "I'm just better prepared here, that's all! After the last mission, to get the 8-Tails, I thought I should be ready, you know? In case something were to happen again…" she trailed off lamely.

"I'm telling you, you went overboard," said Suigetsu, reclining against a wall. "We don't need you to summon an entire hospital for us. Who ever heard of summoning an IV drip anyway?"

Before Karin could retort, Sasuke stepped to the middle of the room. "That's enough you guys. Now listen. You want to know what I have planned for Naruto, correct?" That got their attention. Sasuke sighed and sat down. Nervously, Karin handed him some tea. Sasuke took a sip before continuing. "Whatever bond I had with Naruto is irrelevant. Right now, he is an important weapon to Danzou, and is therefore a great asset to us." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Danzou should be sending his most skilled shinobi out to find us as we speak. And if the Kyuubi is as important to Konoha's hokage as I think it is, then he'll try to capture it at whatever cost. And this could leave Konoha very vulnerable."

Juugo nodded, understanding. "A diversion, then."

"Sounds easy enough," said Karin, shrugging. "But will this guy cooperate?"

"I don't know," answered Sasuke honestly. "Right now, he just needs to heal. The less of a burden he is the better. Until then, we're the ones that are vulnerable, so we can't slack off, understood?"

Suigetsu rolled his eyes. He hated it when Sasuke acted like the leader and told him what to do. "So how long are we gonna stay here, then?"

"As long as possible," the Uchiha answered shortly. "Now then, let's work out a plan for tonight."

**********

At the end of it all, the team decided to leave Sasuke to watch over Naruto, and to leave the other three to split shifts outside for any pursuers. At the moment, as it neared midnight, Sasuke was kneeling beside Naruto. The young Uchiha was completely motionless, except for his eyes, which glimmered in the light of the small fire burning nearby. Remembering what Karin told him had him worried.

"_His injuries should heal, although I'm worried about his right arm. It's been fractured in multiple places. No idea how that happened. But what worries me are the drugs that are in his bloodstream." She paused, perhaps waiting for some encouragement. She was disappointed. "I haven't seen anything like it since Orochimaru," she continued. "Hormones, proteins, neuro-toxins… they must have injected him with this stuff to keep him alive and to handle the Kyuubi's abrasive chakra. Since the injections have stopped, though, his body is rejecting what's left. It's given him a pretty bad fever. __I've seen this happen before. There's nothing we can do but let it run its course. Now, the fever should reach its climax around 2am. Call me over when it does. I'll be on watch outside. Until then, see if he wakes up, and give him this tonic." She handed Sasuke a cup of cool liquid before retreating to the other side of the room to sleep._

Sasuke studied Naruto carefully. He looked much like he did on the day that he'd shown up at Orochimaru's hideout. The big difference was the state that he was in. Sasuke frowned. The bandages, the cuts and bruises, it still bothered him. It reminded him of something. Something that had happened a long time ago…

Hypnotized by the fire, and the way the shadows danced on Naruto's face, Sasuke began to slip into reveries, past moments; memories that he thought he'd forgotten. Brief visions of an idiot teammate who was so loud and bright, Sasuke would swear it wasn't natural. Training with him day and night, until they couldn't even walk back home and just fell asleep outside. Shouting insults to each other at every given moment… It wasn't something he'd thought about in a long time. For some reason, the memories soothed him, and he felt content to just sit there, letting the visions wash over him.

After a while, Sasuke began to remember something. The sight of Naruto's blood, those scratches, they reminded him. _Surrounded by mist, he and Naruto had fought side by side, a long time ago_… The memory was fuzzy, but the feeling was clear, even if Sasuke still couldn't recognize it. _And then the blonde idiot had gotten hurt_… Sasuke could remember a powerful feeling, like urgency, but stronger. _He was running, ignoring the stabs of pain, just trying to save_… That's right. He had nearly died at that time. He'd nearly died to save Naruto.

'_Why… did I do that?'_

"Wh-where…'m…I…?" The sound of Naruto's voice jolted Sasuke out of his reverie, filling him with so many emotions at once, that his breath hitched. Carefully, he picked up the tonic and moved closer to Naruto.

**********

'_Hot._' That was the first fluid thought that Naruto had. His body felt immensely heavy, and he felt so hot. Hot and dry, so that when he tried to swallow, his throat felt like sandpaper. He tried to remember where he was, or what had happened, but his brain just wouldn't register. Slowly, the blonde opened his eyes, only slightly, and saw that it was dark. On the ceiling above him, he could see the soft glow of firelight. Not liking that he had no idea what was going on, he tried to speak, to see if anyone was around.

"Wh-where…." he could barely get the sound out of his parched throat. "…'m…I…?" Somewhere to his right, Naruto could feel someone's presence. Whoever it was, they moved closer to him, picking his head up very gently. Naruto squinted, trying to see who it was, but all he could make out was a shadowy figure and white fabric.

"Wh-who…?"

"Shhh," whispered a voice, very close to him. "Don't try to talk. And don't move. Your body is still very weak. Here, drink this." Naruto felt a cool cup against his lips. Greedily, he drank the liquid, his head supported by the mysterious figure next to him. After he drank the entire cup, Naruto felt his head being laid softly down again. Feeling much better, he closed his eyes and started to fall back asleep. Just before darkness took him, however, he spoke, one more time.

"Thank…you…."

**********

The fever climaxed right on schedule, just as the small fire died down to glowing embers. Naruto, who had been still for the past hour, began to shiver, sweat rolling down his face. Feeling more alarmed than he would ever admit to, Sasuke hurried outside, calling Karin over.

When she arrived downstairs, Naruto was tossing and turning, whimpering softly. Sasuke was already by his side again, putting a fresh wet towel on the blonde's forehead. The look of blatant worry on the Uchiha's face shocked Karin, and for a second she froze, staring. Remembering what to do, she shook her head and rushed over to her patient to switch out the IV.

Within a few minutes, Naruto was starting to really struggle, his tossing turning into outright thrashing. His eyes squeezed shut, the blonde was breathing shallowly, his heart beating incredibly fast.

"Shit!" Karin cursed. "If he keeps this up, he'll lose the IV, and then we'll be in trouble. He needs those fluids right now." She bit her lip, thinking. Sasuke was trying to help hold down the blonde, but it wasn't working enough.

She sighed. "I guess I should just try to sedate him, but it could make this worse for him. He has enough drugs in his system as it is."

"Is there another option?" Sasuke asked, frowning.

"Not that I can think of. We need to calm him down somehow, and sedatives will work the quickest." She stood up. "Hang on, I need to prepare them. Try to calm him down in the meantime."

Sasuke looked up, confused. "How?"

Exasperated, Karin turned around. "Oh, I don't know! Stay close to him, talk to him or something. I'll be right back."

Sasuke swallowed, and looked down at Naruto. For some reason, he thought of his mother, and how she would comfort him when he had a nightmare. Feeling foolish, but deciding that he had no choice, with Naruto's life on the line, Sasuke reached out, and took Naruto's hand.

A few minutes later, Karin came rushing back, a syringe in her hand. "Ok, I've got it. Now just hold him still and – huh?…Oh." There was no need for her to say anymore. Somehow, Sasuke had heeded her advice, and it worked beautifully.

Completely unaware of Karin's presence, the Uchiha was holding Naruto's hand, which was gripping it tightly. Naruto was still shivering, but he had stopped thrashing, and was instead laying curled up on his side, his head resting on Sasuke's lap. Protectively, the Uchiha was using his free hand to support the back of the blonde's head, whispering something soft and unintelligible as he did so.

Karin stood as quietly as she could and watched. She felt just like Sasuke had earlier: as though she was witnessing a private moment that she wasn't supposed to. The sight of the two ninjas together; it was heartwarming, but Karin wouldn't call it cute. They looked more like worn out enemies on the battlefield, somehow finding a moment of perfect understanding and peace together.

Knowing that her patient's life was no longer in danger, Karin quietly retreated to her post outside, leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone by the fire; the fire that had somehow rekindled itself and was now burning as bright as ever.

**********

AN: Well, there you have it! I was gonna make this chapter longer, but this ending was just too good. Not to worry, I'll be updating soon. By the way, this story looks like it will be longer than I thought. More like 4 or 5 chapters. Anyhoo, reviews always make my day! hint hint ; )


	3. Chapter 3

Whew! Alright, here's chapter 3. Enjoy! Oh, and thank you so much for the reviews!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

Chapter 3

Just as Karin expected, Naruto's fever finally broke. He had slept soundly the rest of the night, and by early morning was pronounced well enough to be left unattended. By the time Suigetsu took his watch, towards dawn, Sasuke was already outside, patrolling the surrounding forest.

Stifling a yawn, Suigetsu watched an owl fly back to its nest in the trees. The stars were still out, but hints of yellow and blue were lighting up the sky beyond the forest's edge. Suigetsu heaved a mighty sigh. '_So boring…_' Minutes passed, and the sky grew brighter and brighter as the swordsman dozed off, still standing.

Suddenly, he was wide awake, sensing someone's presence. Smoothly, without a sound, he reached behind him and drew his sword. He then crouched down, his senses pinpointing the location of the intruder. With perfect grace, despite the heavy sword he carried, Suigetsu launched himself off the roof, and swung his sword.

_Clang!_ The sound of metal clashing with metal rang out in the silent forest.

"Hn. That was pathetic."

"Damn it Sasuke!" Suigetsu growled, sheathing his sword. "Quit sneaking around, you're distracting me."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. "Don't doze off on watch then." And before Suigetsu could think of anything to say, the Uchiha sheathed his katana and entered the hideout. Cursing, his teammate followed.

"We've got a problem," Sasuke stated, once inside the room, not bothering to wake anyone up.

"What is it?" asked Juugo, instantly alert.

"We've got people on our tail."

"Mmm? Who?" asked a very sleepy Karin, stretching.

"Two platoons," Sasuke answered. "One of them is probably Danzou's. The other, is Sai's team."

"Aren't they the ones we saw earlier?" Suigetsu asked. "The ones that were looking for the hideout?"

Sasuke didn't bother to answer and instead began to pack up. "Get moving, we need to get out of here."

They were done in only a couple of minutes. Team Hawk stood ready, with Sasuke holding Naruto on his back.

Karin crossed her arms, already impatient. "So, where are we going?"

"To a town in Water country."

"Whaaat? That far?" Suigetsu whined.

Sasuke smirked. "Who says we're walking?" As he finished talking, he bit his thumb, drawing blood, and formed a series of hand seals. Using up a great deal of his chakra, Sasuke slammed his hand onto the floor, summoning not one, but four large serpents. They took up most of the space in the room, hissing furiously.

Karin took a step back nervously. "Uh, Sasuke, you're not serious -- "

"Get inside." The snakes were holding their mouths open, waiting obediently. Groaning, Karin stepped inside one of the serpents' mouths and sat down, rather uncomfortable. Her teammates followed suit. After making sure everyone was ready, Sasuke moved into the last snake's mouth with Naruto, and formed a seal with his hand.

"You know what to do," he murmured to the snakes. And with that, they all disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

**********

"Shit, not again!" Pakkun was pacing around the Uchiha hideout, growling softly.

Kakashi sighed. "Sasuke used that technique again, didn't he?"

"Yup. Just like he did after that fight with Deidara."

"I gotta say," Yamato said, shaking his head. "His summoning abilities are impressive."

Sakura looked up from her inspection of a small fire pit. "So then we lost them?"

"I'm afraid so," Kakashi said quietly. "He could have teleported anywhere. Although I'm sure that he's left the country. We may find some sort of clue here but…"

"Well, wherever they went, they've got Naruto," Sakura stated. "And it looks like they've been taking care of him. Look, these are dried herbs scattered around here. And it's faint, but I can still detect traces of chakra in this area. Which means that it was pretty concentrated. Probably medical ninjutsu."

Kakashi and Pakkun looked at each other. '_Impressive_.'

"They're probably heading to a town, or at least near one," she continued. "Naruto's obviously been hurt, so I imagine that they'll need supplies." Sakura stood up. "If we had any idea of what country they've gone to, we may have a chance of finding them."

"Well…" murmured Yamato. "It's hard to say, but out of the countries that share a border with us, I'd say that the Wind country is the least likely…"

"What about the Water country?" asked Sai.

"Hmm, that's possible."

"Tch, this is too much," Sakura muttered. "Finding them will be nearly impossible."

"But we can try, right?" said Sai with one of his smiles. "You don't want to be sitting around in Konoha waiting for something to happen, do you?"

"And besides," added Kakashi. "We've been acting against orders, so we're already in trouble if we stay in this country anyway."

Sakura sighed, defeated. "Good point. Then let's just go. I don't want to be hanging around here anymore."

Everyone on the team nodded, and as one, they took off through the trees. They were all so distracted, that no one noticed that Sai was smiling a little too broadly, or that a mouse made of ink was watching them go from an empty window.

**********

"Disgusting," Karin muttered with a shudder, stepping out of the serpent's mouth. After all of her experiences with Orichimaru, snakes just creeped her out to no end. As the rest of her team stepped away from the serpents as well, she looked around, her eyes falling on a town just beyond the trees.

"This it?" asked Suigetsu, standing behind her. Sasuke said nothing as he dispelled the snakes. Instead, he handed a still-passed out Naruto to Juugo.

"Put this cloak on him," he ordered, "and carry him. We need to find a place to stay before too many people see us." Juugo did as he was told, saying nothing. Together, Team Hawk made their way to the heart of the town, just beginning to show signs of life as the sun rose.

Finding an inn was even easier than expected. The way they dressed made the team look more like mercenaries than ninjas, and Juugo especially could be very charismatic when he wanted to. They were admitted without raising any eyebrows at all. Everyone on the team felt drained after the events of the day before, so they spent most of the morning asleep. There were only two rooms left vacant, due to a festival that week, so they were short on beds. Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu shared one room, while Sasuke shared the other with Naruto. This caused quite a bit of squabbling between Karin and Suigetsu, but eventually Juugo opted to sleep on the floor, leaving his louder teammates to each have a bed. As his room had only one large bed, Sasuke slept on the floor as well, leaving Naruto to rest on the bed.

The day passed without incident. Because of the festival, nobody noticed five more travelers. Sasuke and his team wandered around, gathering supplies and keeping a sharp eye out for any Konoha shinobi. Naruto, meanwhile, slept the entire time. Both he and the Kyuubi desperately needed rest to replenish their chakra. In fact, Naruto didn't wake up until early the next day.

**********

'_Thirsty._' Naruto finally woke feeling desperately thirsty, but at least not hot anymore. For a while, he simply lay there, trying to feel the presence of anyone nearby… Trying hurt his head too much, so Naruto just opened his eyes instead.

'_Gyah! Briiight_!' Momentarily blinded, and with pain shooting through his head, Naruto put a hand to his face, groaning.

"Oh? So you're finally awake."

'_Huh?_' It was a woman's voice. Bravely, Naruto tried opening his eyes again, this time more carefully. He managed to make out long hair, a jacket, and a very short skirt before a cup was shoved in front of his face.

"Wh-Who…?"

"Don't talk yet. You've been out for quite a while. Here, drink this. Can you sit up?" Naruto sat up stiffly, helped by the surprisingly strong woman. She helped tip the cup for him as he gulped down the drink. Naruto drank the tea greedily, rejoicing in the feeling of it running down his parched throat. Naruto drained the cup, feeling much better, and looked around. It was a hotel room, sparsely decorated, but spacious. And judging by the light shining through the window, he guessed it to be sometime in the morning. Turning his head to the right, Naruto looked at the lady sitting in a chair next to him. She was preparing another cup of tea for him. Naruto narrowed his eyes. He'd never seen her before.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The lady cocked an eyebrow, looking at him from over her glasses. "Well, aren't you polite? My name's Karin. I'm a member of the team that rescued you." She handed him the cup of tea. "And I'm also the one who healed you, so wipe that suspicious look off your face."

Naruto blinked, realizing that he'd been staring, and took a sip of his tea, trying to remember what happened. He remembered being in that horrible room, and that he'd been in there for a long time, but his brain seemed to be sparing him the more detailed memories at the moment.

"So, you're a shinobi then," he said finally. What village are you from?"

"No village, really. Just the four of us."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he took another sip of his tea. "So what team are you on, then?"

"It's called Hawk," she said shortly. "It's Sasuke-kun's team – _hey_!" Naruto had choked on the tea and spat it all over Karin.

"Learn how to drink properly, you idiot! Look what you did!"

"W-_cough_- wait!" Naruto sputtered, still choking on the tea. What – _cough_ – what did you – _cough_ – say?!"

"Hawk! Team Hawk, Sasuke-kun's team! Geez, what's wrong with you?!"

"Sa – _cough_ – Sasuke?! N – _cough_ – no way. Don't fucking – _cough_ – don't screw with me!"

"What's going on in here?" Sasuke stood in the doorway, scowling. Naruto immediately stopped coughing as his breath caught in his chest. He turned slowly and stared, his eyes wide, at the last person he thought he'd see.

"Sasuke?" he whispered.

Sasuke looked at him blankly, his face impassive. "Naruto. You're awake. Good, we can leave tonight then." Naruto winced at those words, feeling a familiar stab of pain in his chest. Trembling, he gripped the sheets tightly, glaring at the Uchiha. Two other shinobi that he didn't recognize entered the room as well, but Naruto ignored them. He had eyes only for Sasuke.

"You…What the hell," he whispered. He squeezed his eyes shut. "What the _hell_!"

Karin frowned at the blonde. "Naruto…"

"Two times," he hissed. "Two times that you tried to kill me." Naruto looked up again. "And now you come out of nowhere and _save _me?!" His voice got louder. "Why?! What happened to breaking those bonds you hated so much? Huh? Sasuke!" His energy spent, Naruto fell quiet, breathing heavily, his eyes never leaving Sasuke's face.

For a moment, nobody said a word. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife. Sasuke's teammates looked between Naruto and their leader, completely shocked. Never, had anyone shouted at Sasuke like that. Not even Kabuto or Orochimaru.

"Why?" asked Sasuke softly. "How should I know? My body just moved on its own… It was a whim, that's all."

Naruto gritted his teeth, recognizing those words. "_Bastard,_" he hissed.

Sasuke ignored him and turned to his team. "We'll be traveling for most of the night, so I suggest we get some sleep now. All of us." He looked pointedly at Karin, who nodded and poured Naruto another cup of tea, this time adding a few drops of a clear liquid, before leaving the room with the rest of her team.

Naruto drank the tea that Karin gave him, trying to calm down. He'd been searching for Sasuke for so long, that he really didn't know what to do once he was around him again. Wondering what else to say, he settled for glaring at the Uchiha, who was rummaging in a bag for something.

"Sasuke, you -- "

Naruto was interrupted by clothing thrown in his face. "Put those on," said Sasuke shortly. He left the room before Naruto could argue.

Naruto eyed the clothes apprehensively. They were alright, but why were they so… dark? He managed to struggle everything on, and stood up shakily to look at himself. He grimaced. No orange. The pants were black, and very simple. They were held on by a small, white rope. His shirt was dark blue, with long sleeves. A cut in the neckline, just below his throat, exposed the beautiful blue stone on his necklace. Very lightly, Naruto touched the stone. '_How do I still have this_?' He was sure that it would have been taken from him. The fact that he still had it was a miracle.

Naruto yawned. He felt very groggy all of a sudden. He flopped down on the bed and closed his eyes, feeling as though he'd been drugged. He sank into the pillows with a sigh, wondering vaguely at the heaviness in his limbs. Somehow though, despite everything, he was very content. As the sleeping draught began to take full effect, Sasuke walked back in. He quietly shut the curtains, and laid himself down on his sleeping mat beside the bed. Drowsily, Naruto opened one eye.

"S'ke," he murmured thickly. "Why'd this all happen?"

Sasuke sighed and rolled over. "Just go to sleep… dobe." Naruto didn't have a choice anyway, but he happily obliged, smiling slightly when he heard the familiar insult.

**********

The travel that evening was long, and very hard on everybody. Racing through the trees, Sasuke drove his team to put in as much distance as possible. The Uchiha himself seemed driven by some sort of urgency, though his team had no idea what that could be. They hadn't run into any shinobi from Konoha yet, so why the hurry? For hours straight, team Hawk traveled at nearly top speed, putting in with 7 hours what most shinobi would put in with at least 12. They headed due north, and probably would have gone all the way to the Snow country had Juugo, who was carrying Naruto, not given in at last to his exhaustion and had to stop, sometime around 3 in the morning.

"S-sorry," he gasped.

Sasuke landed beside him, completely winded as well. "It's fine. This is a good place to stop anyway. There's a river up ahead." He picked up Naruto (who was still knocked out from the sleeping drugs), and carried him the rest of the way, finding the river by the light of the full moon overhead.

Luckily for them, there was a cave up the hill from the river, where everyone collapsed, exhausted. Sasuke, however, walked down to the water. The night was chilly, but he needed to cool off. He sat down on a boulder at the water's edge and took in a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. It was a beautiful night.

"I don't get you, Sasuke." The water in the river materialized into the smiling face of Suigetsu. "You're always so calm, but I swear, you were running like a thing possessed back there."

Sasuke looked up at the sky, frowning at nothing in particular. "I sense danger," he said finally. "It feels… strange. Like we're being surrounded somehow."

"Well, you'll have your team turn on you if you keep this up. I hate hard running, you know that." He raised himself out of the water, grinning with sharp teeth. "Be careful, Uchiha, or you'll have a mutiny on your hands by tomorrow."

Sasuke looked at him, unimpressed. Then, for some reason, he decided to humor the swordsman. "And if I were to say we were going to a hot spring tomorrow?" he asked, smirking.

Suigetsu paused, considering even though it was a done deal. "Well I'd have to say I could overlook you losing your head tonight, just this once. But you need better leadership skills, Sasuke."

"Hn." Sasuke got up and walked back to the cave without another word.

Suigetsu chuckled. '_Oh, too much? Uchihas and their damn pride_…"

**********

Naruto was the first one awake the next morning. He stood up, swaying slightly, and clutched his head. He had a pounding headache. '_What happened to me_?' Naruto turned around and looked at the sleeping shinobi inside the cave, his eyes resting on Sasuke, laying apart from the group. For a moment, Naruto had the crazy impulse to knock his teammate over the head while he slept and drag him back Konoha, then and there. A particularly painful throb in his head that made his vision swim brought him back to reality. Groaning, Naruto stumbled out of the cave toward the river.

With the one-track mind that he was famous for, Naruto formed a plan. '_Well the thing to do is get better first. And then drag the bastard to Konoha_!' The thought comforted him until he had his first drink from the river. Then he remembered. '_Danzou_.' As long as that old guy was in charge, rallying support with his damn fear tactics, there was no real Konoha to come back to. Not the Konoha he knew. No, not even Naruto could go back now, let alone bring Sasuke with him. Splashing water on his face, the blonde began to wonder about his friends back home, desperately hoping that they were safe -- "

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Karin's shouting almost made Naruto fall into the river.

"What? What do you want, all of a sudden?" he asked, bewildered.

"What do mean, what do I want?" she snapped. "You're supposed to stay put! You can't just be walking around, wandering on your own yet! Do you have any idea how injured you are still?"

Naruto sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're just like baa-chan," he muttered.

Karin's glasses flashed dangerously. "_Who's_ just like an old lady?!"

Watching them from a few feet away, a very amused Suigetsu turned to a frowning Uchiha. "I like this one, Sasuke!" he said, grinning.

**********

Inside his hideout -- the one he was most proud of -- Danzou sat quietly in a chair inside the observation booth, considering the masked man in front of him.

"I see," he murmured. "So that monster still eludes you?"

The shinobi fell to his knees, bowing. "Forgive us. We will find him soon."

"Yes, we will," answered Danzou. "But to do that, we clearly have to take more… drastic measures." He abruptly looked up at one of his guards at the door. "Our guest is still waiting outside, correct?" The ninja nodded. "Excellent. Bring him in." As the shinobi left, the man in front of Danzou cleared his throat nervously. Danzou frowned at him.

"Yes?"

"Sir. I was wondering… what about Sai? Do we keep following him and his team?"

Danzou leaned back, thoughtful. "Hmm, yes. Please do. He clearly believes Team Kakashi will lead us to the Kyuubi. It's doubtful, but I've never had a reason not to trust Sai. His performance these past months is proof of why. Now is there anything else?" When the ninja said nothing, Danzou nodded curtly. "Dismissed."

After he left, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Enter."

Slowly, the door opened, revealing a long black coat, decorated with scarlet clouds. Strange ringed eyes flashed in the low light as the figure slowly entered the room.

"I gave you permission to collect chakra, not to allow for the Kyuubi to escape."

Danzou's visible eye narrowed. "How could we be prepared? You broke our agreement. I thought Sasuke was in Akatsuki. Don't tell me he acted against orders."

"So you're sure it was him."

"Without a doubt."

The man was silent for a moment, studying the Hokage. "I see. So you want help to find him."

Danzou smiled. "It's only fair, don't you think?"

"The Jinchuuriki will belong to Akatsuki then."

"Ah, but I'm not done with him. How about an exchange?"

The shinobi glared at the old man's arrogance and waited.

The Hokage leaned forward. "Give Konoha the traitor. Sasuke's life, in exchange for the Kyuubi."

"Done." Without another word, the man left, his cloak swishing behind him. Danzou smiled. It was too easy.

"Always a pleasure," he murmured. "…Pain."

**********

Sasuke seemed to have calmed down, and his team made their way through the forest at a much more leisurely pace than the night before. After a couple of hours, however, Naruto began to grow impatient. It was so boring, just riding on some stranger's back. After the nth complaint in 10 minutes, Sasuke finally agreed to slow his team's progress to a walk, if only to shut the blonde up.

Naruto took in a deep breath, taking in all the smells of the forest as he walked. It was autumn, and the leaves were just changing colors to brilliant shades of orange and yellow. Naruto smiled. He loved this time of year. And it had been so long since he'd been outside! As he marveled at the beauty of nature, Karin stepped up to walk beside him.

"Naruto." He turned to look at her questioningly. "Your right arm. I've never seen anything like it. Those fractures are like nothing I've ever even heard of before. What happened?"

Naruto frowned and looked down at his arm. It still hurt, and was wrapped thickly with bandages. He really didn't feel like reliving that experience just yet, though.

"Oh, this? Uh, well it's nothing." He smiled, trying to wave it off. "I was just being stupid you know…"

Karin wasn't convinced. "Tell me," she said shortly, stepping in front of him. She took her profession very seriously and wasn't about to drop the subject.

Naruto bit his lip and looked down. "It was that technique. Wind-element rasen-shuuriken," he whispered. He looked up, smiling slightly. "It's my technique. This is sort of a – a side effect, I guess. I'm not supposed to use it." He felt nervous all of a sudden. These people had worked for Orochimaru, after all, and he didn't like the way they were looking at him. Even Sasuke was showing some interest. He wasn't looking at Naruto, but still, it was clear in the way his head was tilted, just slightly.

"Your own technique did that to you?" Karin said, surprised. "What does it do? I've never heard of it."

"It's my own completed jutsu. Umm, Sasuke's seen the incomplete technique before. You know, rasengan." He looked at the Uchiha, hoping for some sort of response. As expected, there was none. "Anyway, it's super awesome, but it's… hard to explain." Obviously wanting the conversation to end, Naruto pushed past Karin, who had other ideas.

"If it's forbidden, why did you use it?" she asked after him. "It causes damage that's almost impossible to heal. If you used it before, isn't there any way to minimize the damage?" Naruto stopped, clenching his fists.

"Yes, I've used it before," he said, not turning around. "That was only my second time. After I used it the first time to take out that Akatsuki guy, I swore I wouldn't use it again. But… I was desperate. I had no other choice, but even so… I couldn't minimize the damage to myself, much less to the people I hit, no matter how hard I tried. And there were so many of them…" Karin was about to ask Naruto to clarify, but Sasuke stepped in.

"Drop it, Karin. This whole conversation is pointless." He turned back around and continued walking. Gratefully, Naruto followed. As he fell into step with the Uchiha, Sasuke suddenly spoke up again.

"Karin and the others, they were poisoned by Orochimaru's ideals," he said very quietly. "They don't feel guilt over the loss of life, and don't understand those who do."

Naruto looked at the ground, realizing that Sasuke had understood the reason for his discomfort. Feeling emboldened by this, he tried to ask about something that had been bothering him. Something that had bothered him ever since he heard about Sasuke's team after Orochimaru's death. "If that's the case, then why did you form a team with --?"

"Drop it, Naruto." He leapt ahead before Naruto could say another word. The blonde watched his retreating back, feeling suddenly very discouraged and lonely.

'_Damn it Sasuke. How many times do I have to watch you walk away from me_?'

**********

AN: Chapter 4 is in progress. Thanks so much for reading! Hope you liked it! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Alrighty! Sorry this took me so long. I got distracted... But I have good news! This chapter is extra extra long!

Warnings: This chapter contains NaruSasu Shounen ai

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

Chapter 4

"Anything?" Kakashi stepped out of the last inn in the town, shaking his head.

"Nothing."

Sakura was getting ready to rip her own hair out in frustration. Just getting to the Water country had taken long enough, but now they were getting no luck at all. Everyone they asked, every place they looked, turned up nothing of use. It was like Sasuke and Naruto had just disappeared entirely. They all left the town feeling depressed.

"I hear there's a festival in the next town!" Well, except for maybe Sai.

"Yeah," sighed Sakura. "Let's go there next, I guess."

**********

"Ah, now this is the way to heal!" Naruto sunk deeper into the water at the hot spring, smiling contentedly. He was feeling so relaxed, it was like his limbs were made of noodles. Speaking of noodles… "I sure could go for some ramen right now, though."

Suigetsu made a face as he looked up. "Ramen? That stuff's gross. You got some strange taste, Blondie."

"Hmph! It's not gross, and don't call be Blondie!"

"Quiet down, Naruto." Juugo said. "You need to conserve your strength."

Naruto huffed, crossing his arms. "Don't tell me what to do. I'll regain my strength in no time, you just watch." Suigetsu rolled his eyes. The three shinobi were silent for a while, soaking up the water's heat, and watching the steam rise up in the evening air. After a while, Suigetsu spoke.

"So, you took out an Akatsuki with one technique, huh? I'm impressed. But then, it's what I'd expect, from the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki." Naruto looked up, his eyes flashing dangerously. "We saw some of your power, back in that room," Suigetsu continued. "It was very impressive. No wonder that demon of yours nearly wiped out Konoha before you got him. I bet when you really get serious, you could be even better than the 8-tails --" _Bam_!

Suigetsu's head snapped back with the force of the punch, half of his face turning to water. Naruto stood above him, breathing hard.

"Don't you, ever, put me on the same level as Kyuubi. His power isn't mine. And we sure as hell aren't the same guy. So keep your stupid comments about Jinchuuriki to yourself!"

"My, my. Aren't we touchy? You sure move fast, even though you're injured." Suigetsu turned to Naruto, his face back to normal. Then he looked at Juugo. "Aren't you gonna back me up here?"

Juugo shut his eyes. "No. You deserved that."

"Hmph." Naruto got up and left, wrapping a towel around himself.

Suigetsu glared at his teammate. "Traitor," he sniffed.

"Not at all. You shouldn't talk to him like he's a monster. He's not."

"Maybe," Suigetsu muttered, rubbing his jaw. "But he sure can punch like one. Damn."

Naruto wandered around the different pools for a while, fuming. After a few minutes, however, his mindless wandering began to turn into a search for a certain hardheaded teammate. Or at least, he was still a teammate to Naruto. Squinting through the steamy haze, Naruto tried to make out black, spiky hair. He gave up when he arrived at the last pool and found no one. Sighing, he decided to go in. At least he'd enjoy some peace and quiet.

"What do you want?" It was Sasuke. He was sitting at the far corner of the pool, hidden by the heavy steam. Naruto swallowed, feeling suddenly nervous under that intense stare.

"Um, I don't want anything. I was just --"

"You were looking for me. Why?"

"N-no, I wasn't!"

Sasuke sighed. "You can't lie to me. Now what do you want? You're disturbing my rest."

Naruto glared at him. "What? What's with that attitude? I haven't been around you in years, and you're already acting like a bastard! The hell is your problem?" Sasuke didn't bother to answer. "Fine. Well I'm getting in."

And he would've, but Naruto suddenly found himself confronted by an icy glare from the Uchiha, who was standing right in front of him. Naruto was startled, and a little uncomfortable. He wasn't sure if it was because of the fury coming off Sasuke in waves, or if it was the way the air had suddenly gotten too hot.

"Quit thinking that those bonds you love so much still exist, Uzumaki," Sasuke hissed. "They don't." And then he left without another word, leaving Naruto to feel lonely again, and strangely cold. Knowing that he'd look really foolish if he didn't, the blonde sighed and dipped into the pool, trying to relax, and ignore the cold feeling that still settled in his stomach.

On his way back to the room, Naruto nearly bumped into Juugo, who was walking the opposite direction.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Juugo held out an arm to stop him.

"Naruto," Juugo said, his voice quiet. "Don't worry about Sasuke. You need to concentrate on getting well again."

Naruto looked up at the larger man. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said defensively. Juugo shrugged and looked up at the stars.

"Maybe," he said. "But let me tell you something. When you were unconscious, right after we rescued you, Sasuke stayed by your side almost the entire time, including all night, when you came down with a fever. And I'll have you know, I've never seen him look so worried or so caring, as when he did when he watched over you."

With a small smile, Juugo turned around and went inside, not even bothering to look at Naruto, who was frozen to the spot, feeling overwhelmed by the rush of warmth that suddenly took over his body.

**********

The next morning, Naruto decided to go for an early walk. He dressed quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up, and headed up the hill behind the inn towards the forest. He was so absorbed in his walk, that he didn't notice Sasuke standing behind him, watching him go with a slight frown on his face. '_What is that idiot doing?_'

Sasuke followed the blonde silently, wondering what he could be thinking, walking around so early, especially since he wasn't in good health yet. Naruto was still very weak, and often stumbled as he made his way up the steep path into the trees. For a moment, Sasuke hesitated, not sure if he should follow the blonde or not. Curiosity got the better of him, though, and he too made his way into the trees.

When he finally caught up to Naruto, the Uchiha found him sitting alone, looking out at the valley below. The blonde was cross-legged, with his back to him, completely unmoving. Sasuke was intrigued. He couldn't remember when Naruto ever sat still for ten seconds, let alone several minutes. The sun slowly peeked out over the horizon, lighting up the whole forest, bathing Naruto's bright hair in golden light, and still the blonde didn't move.

After about ten minutes, something began to happen, and within the span of only a few short seconds, Naruto's chakra increased dramatically. So much so, in fact, that Sasuke's eyes switched to the Sharingan, just to be sure. '_What the hell? Is he doing what I think he's doing?_' As Sasuke was still trying to wrap his head around what was happening, Naruto suddenly spoke up.

"Sasuke," he said, without turning around. "What are you doing here?" Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise, just a little bit, before he managed to school his features again.

"I didn't expect you to follow me way out here," Naruto continued. "But if you were so worried, you could have just asked me what I was doing in the first place." He turned his head slightly then, revealing a smile, and one very unusual eye. Again, Sasuke's eyes widened with surprise. '_So he's a frog sage?_'

"Hn." Not liking the situation he was in, Sasuke turned around to go back. He only took two steps, however, before Naruto appeared right in front of him. Sasuke stopped short, surprised. '_So fast! How did he…_' Whatever doubts that the Uchiha had, they disappeared immediately. Naruto was clearly a sage. With those distinctive, frog-like eyes, he was looking out over the valley, wearing the biggest grin Sasuke thought that he'd ever seen. The blonde turned to look at him, still grinning widely in the morning sunshine.

"Heh. I feel… Much better now!"

**********

Lit only by torchlight, the strange mask of Madara glinted as he listened to Pain's report.

"I see," he said softly. "It may be… dangerous to our cause if Sasuke gets distracted by the Jinchuuriki. Although I do see his reasoning behind taking him."

"He is going against Akatsuki by doing this," Pain stated. "Do I have permission to take him out?"

Madara shifted in his seat. "No. Let's allow this to play out. Sasuke is still mine… and so is Konoha."

"And the Kyuubi?"

"Oh? I see you're eager to resume your fight with him," Madara said, with a chuckle. "I don't blame you. Since gaining sage powers, the Jinchuuriki has become a serious problem. Do you really think you could handle him? You had to retreat last time, after all."

Pain's eyes narrowed. "I won't underestimate him this time."

Madara sighed. "Very well. Go ahead with your plan, but don't rush. I want to give Sasuke time. He may destroy Konoha for me yet." He stood up, and headed out of the room.

"What will you be doing?" Pain asked after him.

"I?" Madara turned, his Sharingan flashing. "I will be preparing some… reminders for Sasuke. I don't want him to forget why he's seeking revenge, after all…" Madara disappeared into the dark hallway, leaving a brooding Pain alone behind him.

**********

Naruto linked his arms behind his head and looked up at the clouds above him. Since absorbing the environment's energy earlier, he felt much better. Not quite at 100% yet, but it was good progress just the same. He watched Sasuke's team ahead of him as he walked. They reminded him a little of Team 7. Suigetsu and Karin (sorta like him and Sakura) were arguing as usual, and Juugo (like Kakashi-sensei) was watching them, a mixture of amusement and exasperation on his face. Sasuke walked ahead of the group, ignoring them completely.

The blonde frowned at the Uchiha's back, wondering how much Juugo had told him last night was true. Certainly, Naruto had managed to get Sasuke to follow him earlier, and had even got a real reaction out of him when he'd entered sage mode, but still. The bastard was just too cold, and too hard to read.

Faint sounds in the forest brought Naruto back to reality with a start. Freezing, he looked around, certain that he felt shinobi presence. Ahead of him, Team Hawk was already preparing for the attack, slowly drawing weapons and molding chakra. Naruto was about to ask what was going on, but then Juugo was suddenly behind him, pushing him forward.

"Stay close to me," he murmured. "Sasuke's orders."

At that moment, a dozen or so kunai flew out of the trees, aimed straight at Sasuke's team. Without hesitation, everyone parried the attack, and lashed out at the incoming enemy, as they charged from the trees. It was a fast-paced, intense fight, with very skilled shinobi on both sides. Suigetsu was laughing, swinging his huge sword as though it weighed nothing. Karin seemed to be enjoying herself, too. Kunai in hand, she moved through the enemy ninjas with incredible speed. Juugo was currently busy with a particularly burly shinobi, a strange tattoo beginning to appear on his neck as he punched the man, sending him flying into a tree.

Feeling useless and vulnerable, Naruto turned to Sasuke. The Uchiha had three ninjas rushing him at the same time, but was looking rather bored. Just before they got to him, he drew his sword and crouched down, sending waves of electricity off his body. All three shinobi cried out as one, and fell helpless, twitching, to the ground. Sasuke straightened up, looking around calmly.

His team had already finished, and Sasuke was disappointed as he was annoyed that it looked like both Suigetsu and Karin had killed their opponents. Juugo had killed his, too. He was currently bent over, gasping, the marks on his neck receding as he slowly regained control over himself. It was a new skill that he had. Sheathing his katana, Sasuke approached one of the ninjas that had attacked him earlier.

"All done here Sasuke!" Shouted Suigetsu, obviously very pleased with himself.

"Hn." Sasuke's eyes never left the masked ninja in front of him. He was just about to question him, when the ninja lifted his head...And blew himself up.

Cursing, Sasuke leapt into the air to avoid the blast, noting that the same happened with the other two shinobi he had defeated. He landed beside Karin and Suigetsu, who were coughing from all the smoke.

"Damn it!" Suigetsu hissed. "What the hell was that?"

Sasuke was about to answer, when he felt someone else, rushing to attack. Alarmed, he whirled around to shout a warning to Juugo --"

"Gyah!" The ninja let out a scream as he was slammed in the stomach by a very pissed off Naruto wielding a rasengan. The shinobi was sent flying, his body spinning in the air, before he slammed into a tree several yards back, effectively knocking it over with a resounding crash.

Everyone turned in surprise, staring at not one, but two Narutos breathing heavily. Satisfied, Naruto straightened up and dispelled his clone. When he turned and saw the look on everyone's face, he smiled sheepishly.

"Told you I was feeling better," he said, scratching the back of his head.

"Hn." Sasuke made his way past the blonde, thinking of a way to immobilize the enemy ninja.

"What? That's all you have to say?!" Naruto's shouting stopped Sasuke in his tracks. "And here you thought I needed protecting!" Naruto crossed his arms, looking pleased with himself.

"Shut up. I'm working here."

Naruto was about to retort, but then cringed when he saw snakes shooting out of the Uchiha's sleeves. They wrapped around the ninja lying in the rubble, immobilizing him completely. Naruto shivered when he saw the man struggle weakly against the serpents. Sasuke approached the man cautiously, his Sharingan flashing.

"Who do you work for?" The ninja said nothing. Sasuke sighed. "Fine then." There was a flare of chakra, and then both shinobi were motionless, Sasuke's eyes staring into the masked ninja's. For about a minute, neither of them moved. Finally, Sasuke blinked, and stepped back, dispelling the snakes as he did so. The man he had questioned slumped back, groaning. He died almost immediately.

"They were ANBU, patrolling the area already. They had just been given orders to detain Naruto, and to kill me, if possible." Sasuke smirked. "Apparently, Naruto's been labeled as a missing nin."

"Ehh? But that's not true!" Naruto stood, pointing his finger accusingly at Sasuke.

"Isn't it?" Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as he looked at the blonde.

"Well, uh --" Naruto sputtered, dropping his arm.

Sasuke turned to his team. "At any rate, it's time to get moving. This will have attracted attention." Everyone nodded.

"What about these guys?" Karin asked, nudging one of the bodies with her foot.

"Don't worry about them. ANBU never leave corpses behind."

They turned towards the forest. Naruto did so as well, but was caught off guard by Juugo, who grabbed him roughly from behind, and threw him unceremoniously onto his back.

"Hey! What're you doing?! Put me down!" Naruto struggled as the team leapt into the trees.

"Hold still Naruto. Sasuke's orders." Juugo said calmly.

"Sasuke's orders, my ass!" Naruto snapped. "I can travel just fine. Didn't you see me get that guy earlier? Now put me down."

"No."

"Sasukee!" Naruto yelled. "You bastard, get this guy to put me down!"

"Quiet!" Karin hissed. She and Suigetsu were glaring at the blonde from over their shoulders. "Don't you know we're supposed to be traveling quietly?"

"Loudmouthed idiot," muttered Suigetsu.

"I heard that! And put me down already, damn it! This is your doing, Sasuke!" He was about to shout again, but was interrupted when Juugo came to a sudden stop. Naruto looked up and saw Sasuke standing still on a branch in front of him, his back turned.

"Naruto." The Uchiha said dangerously. "Shut. Up." The icy tone in Sasuke's voice would have had just about anyone else running for cover, but it somehow didn't phase Naruto in the slightest.

"What?! Who do you think you're talking to, teme! I'm strong enough without your help!" Juugo winced. Naruto's loud words were doing his eardrums no good at all. Karin and Suigetsu were looking between the two ninjas again, expecting Sasuke to snap at any moment and kill the blonde on the spot.

"Usuradonkachi!" Sasuke hissed. He turned his head, glaring at Naruto through Sharingan eyes over his shoulder. "One more word, and I _swear_ I'll put you back into the condition I found you in!"

Naruto fell silent, glaring at the Uchiha. "Bastard," he muttered.

Wearing a blank expression, Sasuke turned around and resumed leading his team through the trees. Juugo looked at his back, thoughtfully. He never thought that Sasuke would ever be yelled at like that, nor did he expect it to actually get a rise out of the Uchiha. '_Naruto's been with us for only a few days, and he's already making an impact. Interesting_.' Concentrating on his path through the branches, Juugo didn't notice Naruto holding onto him obediently, a triumphant grin on his face.

**********

Sakura collapsed onto the cold ground, gasping for air.

"Oh come on!" she gasped. "There's no way! Just how fast were they going?"

Pakkun came to a stop beside her, panting heavily. "Very fast," he answered. "But there's nothing around here. Who knows what they were running from…"

"Well, we found their trail, at least. That's something." Yamato was leaning against a tree for support.

"There's no point though, if we can't catch up!" Sakura stood up again, and began to walk forward.

"Sakura, that's enough," Kakashi stated. "Let's rest here for the night. I hear a river up ahead."

The kunoichi just nodded and made her way to the river. Yamato and Kakashi exchanged a look.

"The poor thing," Yamato whispered. "This is so hard for her."

**********

Late that night, long after Team Hawk set up camp and fell asleep, Sasuke thrashed in his sleep, sweat dripping down his face.

"N-no," he murmured. Brief visions, terrible memories flashed in his mind, just as clearly as they did in the days after the massacre. He was suddenly a little boy again, _staring into the dead face of his father… riding on his brother's back, laughing… seeing the Mangekyu Sharingan for the first time… looking at the tears fall from his brother's face_…

Sasuke shot up, gasping for air. He looked around, trying to calm himself down. Everyone else was still asleep. Good. Concealing his chakra, Sasuke got up and went for a walk. There would be no more sleep for him that night. Or for several nights after, for that matter. The terrible visions that plagued him would only get worse over time. Unknown to the Uchiha, cerulean eyes filled with worry were watching him go.

**********

"Yes! How was that?!" Naruto was standing, victorious, over a cursing Suigetsu.

"Don't get so cocky," he muttered. He stood up, brushing himself off. Naruto had been with Team Hawk for nearly two weeks already, and his strength was almost back to normal.

"But I had no idea you were wind natured," Suigetsu continued. "Interesting." Behind him, an unfortunate bounty hunter was groaning, holding his sliced forearm. He'd made the mistake of sneaking up on the swordsman right in front of Naruto, who hit him with a wave of wind-natured chakra.

"Still," Suigetsu muttered, rubbing his sore back, "Work on your aim, moron. That hurt like hell, you know." Naruto shifted, uncomfortable. It was true, he was still shaky when it came to controlling his chakra.

"What's going on?" Sasuke, followed by Karin and Juugo, leapt down from the surrounding trees. They were waiting at a small hotel for Naruto and Suigetsu, who were scouting the area, when they heard the sound of Naruto's attack.

"It's nothing to worry about, Sasuke," Suigetsu stated. "Probably another bounty hunter. This one was pretty weak though."

Naruto turned in surprise. "Another? Do guys like this attack you a lot?" Rather than answering, Sasuke pushed past the blonde, looking down at the man, who widened his eyes in recognition.

"A- an Uchiha?!" he gasped. "You must be the younger one?" Sasuke glared at him, saying nothing. The man had the good sense to back up a little, but he continued speaking. "I hear your clan is the most dangerous," he whispered in awe. "And that you even kill off each other" Sasuke narrowed his eyes dangerously. "And I've also heard that…" The man grinned, pulling out a kunai. "That your head is worth even more than your brother's." It was the last straw. Before the bounty hunter could even begin his attack, he was frozen to the spot, horrified by the sudden killing intent in the Uchiha's eyes.

"You," he hissed, grabbing the man by his collar. "Don't screw with me!" He slammed the bounty hunter into a tree. Wood chips flew everywhere, as the air seemed to crackle with the force of Sasuke's chakra.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered, his eyes wide. Seeing his teammate like this brought back memories. Bad memories. Dimly, he was aware of the other team members backing up nervously, but he was somehow drawn forward. It was clear to him that Sasuke's chakra was unstable. And the last time that Naruto had seen it like that was when Sasuke was taken over by the curse seal. Back when the Uchiha had tried, and nearly succeeded, to kill him… He couldn't take it anymore.

Gritting his teeth, the blonde rushed forward, ignoring the calls of warning coming from the rest of the team, and punched Sasuke as hard as he could in the jaw.

"Snap out of it, teme!" he snarled. Caught off guard, Sasuke was knocked to the side, releasing his grip on the unfortunate bounty hunter. The Uchiha managed to catch himself, and slid to a stop several feet away. His eyes flashed red as he glared at Naruto through the dust.

Naruto glared right back, breathing hard. "No more," he hissed. "No more."

"Naruto." Sasuke's voice was cold, furious. "Do _not_ interfere."

"Like hell," he snapped. "Get a hold of yourself, already!"

"You're in the way!" And with that, Sasuke charged, aiming a punch at Naruto, who managed to dodge, barely. Snarling, Naruto pivoted in midair, and swung a heavy kick at the Uchiha, who also dodged.

They began to fight furiously. The two shinobi were at a very similar skill level, and well matched. They were all speed and raw power. To Naruto, it was as though they were 13 again, fighting up on that rooftop, or at the Valley of the End… They were losing control, trying harder and harder to land a vicious blow, but the other always managed to dodge at the last second. It was like a violent dance. Vicious, but somehow intimate and graceful. At the rate they were going, it was only a matter of time before they'd start using weapons or ninjustu. Finally, Sasuke managed to land a kick that sent Naruto flying. The blonde managed to catch himself in midair, and landed on the side of a tree, preparing for another attack.

Just as he was about to charge, however, the blonde found himself held back by a pair of strong arms. In front of him, Suigetsu had his sword drawn and was staring at him, stunned. The swordsman wasn't sure what surprised him more: that Naruto had just fought with the Uchiha, or that he did so well. Naruto ignored him. He was looking, transfixed, at Sasuke, who was being held back by a very nervous Karin. For a moment, the two of them stared at each other, a mixture of emotions passing between them. Then Sasuke straightened up.

"Karin. I want you three to take Naruto to the hotel room and stay there. I'll come for you in the morning." Without another word, the Uchiha turned and left. Naruto watched him go, a look of pain, worry, and anger on his face. Behind him, a terrified and injured bounty hunter staggered to his feet and ran off, putting as much distance between himself and the group of dangerous shinobi as he could.

Once inside the room, Karin began to heal the bruise already growing along Naruto's ribcage, lecturing him as she did so.

"Idiot! Of all the people to pick a fight with! Be grateful that you're still alive." Naruto ignored her. He was looking out the window, frowning.

"Nobody messes with Sasuke," Karin continued. "I remember this one time --"

"What's wrong with Sasuke?" Naruto interrupted. He was looking intently at Juugo, who was looking uncomfortable. Nobody spoke at first. Team Hawk seemed to be deciding if they should answer the blonde or not.

"It's _that_ anniversary," Juugo said finally. "The 11th anniversary since the Uchiha massacre."

"Sasuke wanted to have his revenge done by today," Karin added.

"Revenge? What do you mean? Itachi's dead, right?" Naruto asked, confused.

Juugo sighed. "He's dead. But he wasn't entirely to blame for the event either." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Team Hawk, formerly Team Serpent, was put together by Sasuke to help him avenge his clan. We helped him find Itachi, and now…"

"Now, our purpose is to destroy Konoha," Suigetsu finished.

Naruto's jaw dropped. "Des- destroy? Why? That doesn't make sense!"

Karin folded her arms and looked out the window. "Maybe it doesn't. It's not our place to say, and we don't know the whole story anyway, but somehow, Konoha is to blame for the Uchiha clan being wiped out."

"No way," Naruto whispered, his eyes wide. He clenched his fists. "Sasuke wouldn't --"

"You're right, he wouldn't." It was Juugo. "Sasuke never kills without good reason. It isn't my place, and I don't really care, but I think Konoha is guilty, if Sasuke says so."

"It's true," agreed Suigetsu, lounging on the bed. "Konoha ninjas seem soft, but that damn village causes a lot of damage. They'll do anything to stay in power. Even," he turned to grin toothily at Naruto. "Even betray their own shinobi." Naruto felt as though he'd been hit.

"I hear that Konoha broke the treaty with the Sand village," Karin remarked. "They've apparently been raiding towns in the Wind country. It won't be long before war breaks out, I'm sure."

Naruto felt sick. "Gaara," he whispered. "That can't be… Konoha wouldn't…"

Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "Quit acting like a kid! Are you so brainwashed that you don't see it? Konoha isn't exactly a Utopia. It's a powerful village. A weapon of the Fire country. And powerful villages are corrupt. That's the way it is."

"Naruto, you're a Jinchuuriki," Karin added. "You should know better than anyone. Ninjas like you were created as weapons. You're powerful. And a village like Konoha will do anything for power." She looked back out the window, sighing. "You and Sasuke both are living proof of that."

Naruto was staring at the floor, his body rigid. He was remembering, all too clearly, his experience in that room held by Danzou. It had been terrible. He was kidnapped, held, even tortured by other Konoha ninjas. If Konoha was so good, would that have happened? Naruto squeezed his eyes shut. He remembered, many times, looking up into that observation booth while his vision turned red. And many times, Danzou and the other elders would be standing there, watching. But could those elders, who had such cruel eyes, be responsible for the massacre of a clan? With a shiver, Naruto realized the answer.

"I've gotta go," he whispered, standing up. "I've gotta fix this…" He began to walk out the door.

"Now where are you going?!" Karin's voice made him stop. Slowly, he turned, revealing angry red eyes. Karin gasped and took a step back.

"I'm going out. Don't follow me." And with that, he left, shutting the door behind him.

Left alone, the rest of the team stared at one another, speechless. Karin swallowed.

"Um, should we…?"

"Leave them alone," Juugo stated. "It's not our business."

"Well said!" Suigetsu yawned. "I'm too tired to go chasing those two around anyway. What's the worst that could happen?"

Karin sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Yeah… you're right."

**********

Rain. Naruto was surprised at how hard it was raining. Since when had those clouds moved in? The blonde was running through the trees, past where he and Sasuke had fought earlier, his heart beating fast. Following the trail that was becoming fainter by the second, he picked up his speed, hoping to find Sasuke before it disappeared. He rounded a bend, looked through the pine trees, and –

'_Sasuke…?_'

Naruto didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't this. Sasuke knelt alone in a small clearing, his face turned up to the falling drops of rain. It was hard to tell, with all the water running down his face, but Naruto was sure that he was crying… Never, once, had Naruto seen his teammate cry, or show much of any kind of emotion. He had always understood, of course. They both had hid their emotions well. But now…Naruto swallowed. The raw pain on Sasuke's face was heartbreaking. It wasn't something he would ever want to see on anyone's face. Least of all on Sasuke's.

Slowly, carefully, Naruto approached the Uchiha. Once he stepped foot into the clearing, however, Sasuke dropped his head, dark locks obscuring his face.

"Why are you here?" He said it in such a weak, weary voice, that Naruto almost didn't recognize it. After a nervous pause, Naruto walked forward until stood in front of his best friend, who didn't look up. For almost a minute, they didn't move, or speak. The only sound was the rain, gently hitting the ground.

"I'm taking you home."

Another pause. "Don't be such an idiot. I have no home to go to."

"…I don't either."

"They told you, didn't they?"

"Only what you're going to do." Naruto answered, very softly.

"…"

"I'm not here to stop you." Sasuke looked up then, slightly surprised. But then he looked back down, gripping the fabric of his pants. It was too difficult to deal with Naruto, but he was too exhausted to do anything about it. After a while, he spoke, his voice as soft as the falling rain.

"Itachi… I never did understand him." Sasuke seemed to be talking more to himself than Naruto. "But if I could take all that back, my revenge, I would… I want to talk to him. Ask why he followed those orders… see if there was anything else that could've been done…"

Naruto blinked. '_Orders?_'

Sasuke's body shook as he continued. "It doesn't matter anyway. But still… I loved my brother." Naruto's breath caught in his throat painfully. "…And right till the very end, I believed everything he said. Even though, I think, I always knew…there was just no way. He was too good to kill needlessly." There was no doubt about it now. The Uchiha was definitely crying. "But to kill your clan – your entire family – for the sake of peace, for the village you loved… I wonder… what would I have done?"

Naruto bit his lip. Not too long ago, he would have demanded an explanation. He would have refused to believe what Sasuke was saying. But after all that had happened in the past months, after what Konoha had done, he just didn't have the heart to defend it. Blinking to clear his vision, Naruto brought a hand up to his eyes, starting when he felt something warm. '_Am I… crying too?_'

"Enough… That's enough already." Sasuke straightened up a little, but his face remained hidden. "This has nothing to do with you, so just get out of here. Naruto."

Naruto didn't answer. It was already dark out, and the rain that fell was very cold. A mist settled into the small clearing, surrounding them. The forest was so quiet. Nothing but the mist and rain moved as the two shinobi held as still as statues, lost in their own thoughts. It was as though time had stopped entirely.

Naruto wasn't sure how long he stood there, watching over his most precious person. When he finally moved, he noticed dimly that his body was very stiff. Carefully, deliberately, the blonde crouched down beside his friend. Sasuke didn't move. He seemed completely unaware of his surroundings. Biting his lip, Naruto reached out with numb hands, and hoisted Sasuke up, one arm around his waist, and the other holding the Uchiha's arm in place, around his shoulders.

"Come on," he whispered. "It's time to go." Together, they began to walk out of the clearing.

"You… let go of me. Leave me alone, idiot." Sasuke spoke very softly, his voice nothing more than a weak whisper.

"Not a chance." Naruto stated bluntly. "You're coming with me."

He thought he heard Sasuke say something like "asshole," but the next moment, the Uchiha's head fell forward, falling against Naruto's shoulder. Naruto stopped, and looked down at him. '_He's so exhausted. How long has it been since he's slept?_' They made their way back very slowly, neither of them noticing that the rain had stopped falling, or that the clouds had cleared up, revealing a brilliant crescent moon, shining through the trees above them.

When they finally arrived at the small hotel at the edge of town, Sasuke was shivering uncontrollably. Worried, Naruto ignored all weak attempts at fighting him off and, picking up the Uchiha, carried him the rest of the way, entering his hotel room through the window.

Gently, Naruto set him down. "Here, can you stand? Hang on, I'll get you something dry." It was true, they were both completely drenched. Sasuke said nothing. He just stood there, a blank expression on his face, completely oblivious to the water dripping from his hair into his eyes.

"Here you go," Naruto murmured. He came back shirtless, wearing a towel over his head. When Sasuke made no move to take the clothes from him, Naruto pushed them into his arms. "If you don't put these on right now, I'll dress you myself," he growled. That got his attention, at least. Moving slowly, Sasuke did as he was told while Naruto left the room to heat up some tea.

When Naruto returned, a steaming cup in his hands, Sasuke was sitting on the edge of the bed. '_Well, at least he's got dry pants on_.' The Uchiha still made no move to recognize Naruto. He was staring at the floor. Sighing, Naruto sat next to him and gave him the tea. As Sasuke drank, Naruto studied him. In the moonlight, he could see that Sasuke had heavy bags under his eyes. He was still shivering, too. His bare torso was covered in goose bumps where his still wet hair dripped water down his back.

Naruto was finding it difficult to think clearly. It was like his body moved on its own. Automatically, it seemed, Naruto grabbed a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around Sasuke's shoulders. And then he stayed like that, his arm still around Sasuke. He was finding it hard to breathe, certain that the Uchiha would punch him any second. He didn't.

"Naruto," Sasuke whispered. His hands shook while he held his tea. "Why do you still go so far for me? After all this time…?"

For the first time that night, Naruto smiled, although sadly. "Heh, how would I know…? You are… my most important person. How could I not go so far for you?"

"But why?"

"Why not? Why did you save me?" Sasuke didn't answer, but drained his cup of tea instead. The minutes ticked by, and still neither of them moved.

Finally, Sasuke spoke, almost too quietly for Naruto to hear. "I'm… sorry, Naruto."

Surprised, Naruto looked down at his friend, his breath catching when he saw a single tear falling down a pale cheek. Without thinking, he reached out, gently brushing the tear away. Sasuke froze, and looked at the blonde, his eyes questioning. Naruto smiled nervously.

"Teme… you shouldn't feel sorry for anything." Sasuke looked back down, his body relaxing some. Naruto tightened his grip on his shoulders. A few seconds passed – or was it longer? Naruto couldn't tell – and the thud of a cup hitting the floor made him jump. Then a heavy weight pressed against him, and the blonde noticed, with wide eyes, that it was Sasuke. He had fallen asleep.

Naruto smiled, and held him for a moment, enjoying the feeling of closeness that he had rarely shared with anyone else. Then carefully, gently, Naruto shifted and laid Sasuke on the bed, covering him with the blanket. For a while, he watched his teammate sleep, a tender smile on his face. He was just about to get up and leave when he felt something gripping his wrist. His heart leaping, the blonde turned around, and found himself looking into obsidian eyes full of pain, and… fear?

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut. "Can't sleep," he hissed. "Or else, it'll come back. I'll…"

Naruto stared, confused for a moment, before he suddenly understood. Of course. That unsteady chakra, the Uchiha's insomnia, those quiet sounds of fear while he slept… So Sasuke was plagued by nightmares? No, ordinary nightmares wouldn't do that to Sasuke. '_Something must have happened,_' Naruto thought. Not that it mattered at the moment, anyway.

Naruto swallowed, and forced a smile. Once again, it seemed like his body was moving on its own. Carefully, he lifted Sasuke up into a seated position and slid into the bed behind him, feeling awkward. Sasuke stiffened.

"What do you think you're --"

"I'm protecting you." Naruto sounded confident, but was, in fact, terrified. Trying his best to seem casual, he grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders and pulled him against his chest. Sasuke was stiff for a while, probably every bit as terrified as Naruto, but his exhaustion had finally caught up with him. Lulled by the close warmth of the blonde, Sasuke finally allowed himself to relax, and leaned his head back against Naruto's shoulder, his face pressed against his neck.

Naruto, meanwhile, was trying his best to control his heart rate, which he was sure was beating way too fast. Absently, he realized that, had Sasuke been in even slightly better condition, this wouldn't be possible at all. His body moving on its own again, Naruto reached up, and ran his hand through the Uchiha's hair, which was surprisingly soft. Sasuke sighed, pressing himself closer. Naruto's heart nearly stopped. Then he smiled and wrapped his free arm around his teammate, pulling him close. They stayed like that for a while, but then Sasuke shifted, looking up into Naruto's cerulean eyes.

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?"

"If you tell anyone about this, I swear I'll kill you."

Naruto chuckled softly. "You have my word."

Sasuke didn't look away. For a few tense seconds, neither of them moved. Then, feeling clueless, but still very aware of what he was doing and why, Naruto leaned down and caught Sasuke's lips in a tender kiss. Sasuke hesitated for the briefest moment, but soon responded, reaching up to rest his hand on the back of Naruto's head. Naruto smiled into the kiss, encouraged, and parted his lips slightly, slipping out his tongue, asking for entrance. He was overjoyed when it was granted. Moaning softly, he deepened the kiss, his mind going blissfully blank.

It was wonderful. For Naruto, there was nothing else in the world. He was lost in everything Sasuke. His taste, his touch, his smell… And judging by the warmth of his kiss, Sasuke felt the same way. Naruto wasn't sure how much time had passed. When he finally paused, breathing a little heavier than usual, his hand was resting against Sasuke's cheek. Taking in a breath at the loss of contact, his teammate opened his eyes. And Naruto stared. That look in Sasuke's eyes; the blonde never expected to see such a warm emotion there. And knowing that such an emotion was for only him; it literally took his breath away.

"Incredible," he breathed.

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

Naruto blinked. He didn't realize he'd said that out loud. "Huh? Oh, nothing."

Sasuke closed his eyes again. "Still an idiot," he whispered. He leaned in and kissed Naruto again before he could register the insult.

By the time dawn's approach began to light up the sky with dim blue light, Naruto was fast asleep, his arms wrapped protectively around his most precious person. And nestled into that warmth, Sasuke slept deeply, his mind completely at peace.

**********

Whew! Done! Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it :) Reviews?


	5. Chapter 5

Finally!! I've finished it! This chapter was really hard to write. Sorry it took so long! *bows head in shame* I've got a couple notes on this chapter: they'll be at the end.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Warnings: We've got SasuNaru shounen ai in here. Also, as usual, there are manga spoilers! So make sure you're up to date!

Chapter 5

Suigetsu crossed his arms, looking between Naruto and his team leader. He never considered himself all that perceptive, but he was definitely picking up on something, here. Sure, the two of them seemed to be acting like usual. But what happened last night to make Sasuke come back? When he was in one of those 'moods,' he usually wouldn't show up until afternoon the next day. '_Did they get into another fight?_' Suigetsu's eyes narrowed. No, it didn't look like it. They both were in good condition, and gods knew, if they fought, they'd have nearly ripped each other apart.

So what happened? The blonde, who was so upset yesterday, was now as happy as ever. And Sasuke… was hard to read as usual. But to Suigetsu, he seemed -- not relaxed -- but less tense. Sort of. The swordsman shook his head and took a swig of his water bottle. And nearly choked. '_What?! What was that just now?_' Suigetsu wasn't sure, but he could've sworn he saw this 'look' pass between Naruto and Sasuke. And not one of those cold glares. It was something else. He didn't know what it was, exactly, but it weirded Suigetsu out.

Naruto looked at the swordsman over his shoulder. "What's with that look? Quit staring." Suigetsu huffed, and took another swig water. Yes, he'll have to keep an eye on those two…

After a couple of hours, Sasuke halted the group. It was around midday, but cold, gray clouds blocked out the sun. Team Hawk wasn't quite in the Snow country yet, but they were traveling through mountains, and the high elevation made the weather feel almost like winter. The air was thin and crisp, and the smell of pine trees added to the feeling. It would likely snow within the next few days, especially if they continued north.

Chilled after the lack of movement, Naruto pulled a cloak around himself. "What is it, teme?" he asked.

The Uchiha looked out over the vast expanse of land behind them. "Akatsuki has targeted us," he murmured. "I don't know how he found out that we have Naruto, but Madara is not leaving us to our own devices."

Karin stared. "But why? How could he have found out?"

Sasuke frowned. "I don't know."

"An Akatsuki spy, then?" Juugo ventured. "We've been avoiding people, but…"

"That's possible, unless…" Sasuke trailed off, scowling at nothing in particular. Then he shook his head and turned to his team. "This is pointless to worry about anyway. We need to prepare for an attack." Everyone nodded, giving him their full attention. They seemed chaotic and difficult most of the time, but Team Hawk was a very efficient and effective team when the time called for it.

"Konoha is on our tail, but we will deal with them later," Sasuke stated. "Our concern is Akatsuki. Even if we were to give them what they want," he glanced at Naruto, "they will still attack. We know each member of Akatsuki already, so we'll split them up, and take them out…"

As Sasuke spoke, Naruto watched him, feeling a mixture of awe and irritation. Sasuke, his best friend and rival, was leading his own team already. And he was a good leader to boot. Naruto wasn't sure, but weren't some of those guys older than him too? '_Bastard_.' Just another thing he'd have to beat the teme at. Leadership.

**********

Late that evening, Sai stood off to the side of his sleeping teammates. He was taking the first watch that night. He made no movement, his pale face turned up towards the night sky. If it wasn't for the breeze ruffling his hair, he might have been a statue. Even his eyes held little life, and certainly no emotion, within them.

After a while, the root ninja turned a blank face to his sleeping teammates. They were exhausted after another long day of travel, and were fast asleep. Sai closed his eyes, and bowed his head, lost in thought. He clenched his fists. Then, sparing no unnecessary movement, he reached behind him and pulled out his picture book – his most prized possession – and set it down at Sakura's feet. He then straightened up, and paused for the briefest movement, his eyes betraying a faint trace of emotion. And then it was gone. The root ninja was off, running through the dark, silent forest, placing an ANBU mask firmly on his face as he did so.

**********

Sasuke sat motionless, watching the flames dance in the campfire. It was very late out, and everyone else had fallen asleep already. Sasuke sighed. He had a suspicion that, as long as Naruto was around, those visions that plagued him before wouldn't return. But still, he just couldn't bring himself to fall asleep. He felt restless, and besides – Sasuke glanced at the sleeping blonde – he suddenly had the childish urge to be near the dobe again, and it bothered him. He wasn't supposed to want companionship; he was an avenger. And an Uchiha.

With a grimace, Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and stood up. There was no point in just sitting there; he might as well take a walk.

As he walked beneath the trees, the Uchiha looked up at the stars, shining through the leaves. He never really looked at them. They were nice, but they somehow always made him feel insignificant. Sasuke took a few more steps, and then decided, on a whim, to do something pointless. He walked up to a tall tree, and put a foot on the trunk. And then another. With a slight smile, he calmly walked up the trunk of the tree into the canopy. How nostalgic. It was strange to think that this used to be so hard for him. Back when he was still on Team 7 with Naruto…

When he got to the top, Sasuke was mildly surprised to see a certain blonde teammate, waiting for him, it seemed. Sasuke smirked. He didn't even need his sharingan to know it was a clone. The real Naruto was still asleep back at camp.

"It's cheating if you send a clone on watch, you know."

The clone smiled sheepishly. "Hey now, it's not like I had a choice. I'm just doing what the real me said to do."

"Hn." Sasuke stepped close to the clone, very close, so that their faces were only inches apart. "It's dangerous, you know," he said in a low voice. "What would happen if you were dispelled?"

His cheeks flushing, the clone began to stutter. "W- well, Naruto would, you know, wake- wake up, and – w- what?" Sasuke was too close, and worse, he had a dangerous smirk on his face.

"Is that so? Good." A sharp jab, complete with a shock of electricity, dispelled the clone in a puff of smoke. Satisfied, Sasuke turned to look out over the forest, when he froze, stunned.

"Teme. I had my clone here for a reason. What do you want?" It was Naruto. He was still heavy-eyed from sleep, and was looking at the Uchiha with an annoyed, and very smug, look on his face.

With some effort, Sasuke schooled his shocked expression into something more impassive and turned to the blonde, an eyebrow raised.

"Interesting. What did you do?"

Looking as smug as ever, Naruto crossed his arms. "Impressed? It's a technique I got while in sage training." It wasn't an answer, so Sasuke continued to look at him impatiently. "It's simple, really," Naruto continued with a shrug. "I have it set up so that my clones can summon me."

Sasuke blinked at that. "No hand seals? No blood?"

"Well, no… I don't need to, cause I'm sorta summoning myself, you know?"

"Hn."

Naruto grinned. "You're impressed."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You are! Admit it!"

"That cocky attitude doesn't suit you, dobe."

"Ehh? You're the cocky one, teme!"

Sasuke sighed. Some things never change.

"I came out here so you could tell me about Pain. And no, I won't settle for just talking to your clone."

At first, Naruto was uncomfortable talking about that fight. His reasons behind the battle, wanting revenge for ero-sennin, made him hesitant. In the end, however, Sasuke got all the information he needed.

When they had finished talking, Naruto took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. It was strange to think: after years of separation and betrayal, they could go back to normal so quickly. Well, almost normal. Remembering the night before, a small blush rose up to Naruto's cheeks.

"Dobe. What's with you? You're quiet." Sasuke's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"No- nothing."

Sasuke looked at the blonde intently. An awkward silence fell. Somehow, Naruto just couldn't bring himself to meet Sasuke's intense gaze. He felt suddenly nervous. The silence stretched for several minutes, broken only by the soft rustle of the trees around them, blowing in the wind. There was plenty that they both wanted to say, but neither of them could find a way to speak up.

Naruto didn't like silence. It made him think about stuff that he'd rather not think about. Like what he was going to do. He had no home to go to anymore, and he had no intention of going anywhere without Sasuke. In fact, he depended on following the teme around. He had nowhere else to go. Also, his life was under constant threat. There was Akatsuki. And now Konoha. And because he was a missing nin, even his dream to become Hokage was slipping away… It was like his life had turned upside down. So what now?

"What's gonna happen?" Naruto whispered softly to himself.

"Idiot," murmured Sasuke. Naruto looked up, to see that the Uchiha had stopped staring at him and was gazing out over the trees. "A guy like you shouldn't concern yourself with the future. It's too uncertain at this point."

Naruto swallowed and nodded. A much more comfortable silence followed. The two of them simply stood, watching the treetops sway in the wind, and breathing in the crisp, mountain air. After a while, Naruto found himself studying Sasuke's face. It was impassive, as always. And perfect. That was the best way he could describe it. Ivory skin, soft black hair, and of course those eyes… They could be so cold, heartless. But then, they could be so warm and alive… Naruto's stomach flipped when he remembered the way Sasuke's eyes were the night before. It truly had been breathtaking. But still, he wondered. He wanted nothing more than to see that look in those eyes again, but would he? Sasuke was so unpredictable. Naruto could think he knew him so well, but then the Uchiha would go and do something completely unexpected. And _still_, Naruto couldn't help but trust the guy. It was strange, but he couldn't help it.

The feel of hands gripping his shoulders and a close, warm presence snapped Naruto back into reality with a start. He opened his eyes (when had he closed them, anyway?) and found himself looking deep into a soft, obsidian gaze. He blinked in surprise, vaguely aware that color was rising on his face.

"Sa- Sasu…?"

Sasuke smiled, just slightly, and leaned in, capturing Naruto's lips with his own.

Naruto responded warmly, moaning as Sasuke deepened the kiss, and reached up to run his hands through that impossibly soft hair. Once again, the blonde found himself losing sense of everything else, as though the rest of the world was inconsequential. Sasuke was his one and only concern. And once again, Sasuke seemed to feel the same way, as he wrapped his arms tightly around Naruto's waist, pulling the blonde close.

It was strange how easily they fit together. To Naruto, being held by Sasuke was like the feeling of being truly at home. It was the most comforting thing he could imagine. And Sasuke's kiss… It was heated. Insistent. With those soft lips, not to mention that incredibly talented tongue… It made Sasuke one hell of a kisser. Absently, Naruto wondered whether he should be annoyed at this or delighted. He decided on the latter.

How much time had passed, neither of them knew. But after a while, Sasuke pulled back, his hands cupping the blonde's face. Slowly, Naruto opened his eyes, and was immediately lost in that warm emotion he wanted so badly to see again. He took in a deep breath, almost overwhelmed, and smiled softly.

"What was that for?" he murmured. To his surprise, Sasuke smiled. A real, unguarded smile.

"Dobe," he answered (count on the teme to make that word seem so affectionate). "You still had a worried look on your face."

"I did?" Naruto couldn't remember worrying about anything anymore.

Sasuke chuckled softly and placed one last, chaste kiss on Naruto's lips. Then he sighed and looked up at the night sky.

"I told you, didn't I? Don't concern yourself with the future... Accept what's now, that's the only thing you have." He closed his eyes, just for a moment, and turned to head back to camp. But then he paused in front of Naruto and leaned his head right beside the blonde's, so that his mouth was close to his ear. "I'm not going anywhere," he whispered. It was so quiet, that Naruto wasn't sure he heard correctly. Then in one, fluid motion, he leapt silently off the tree, leaving a stunned Naruto behind him to process what he just said.

"Not going anywhere," the blonde whispered, his eyes wide. Then his face split into an enormous grin. Feeling impossibly warm and light, Naruto leapt off the tree as well, to join Sasuke, who was waiting for him.

**********

Juugo clenched and unclenched his fists. The afternoon air was crisp and cold, but it was somehow at the same time almost crackling with the tension surrounding his group. They could all feel it, after all. A creeping urge of bloodlust. The feeling of a fast-approaching battle. It was like they were being surrounded by powerful enemies. But instead of feeling a sense of fear or even nervousness, Team Hawk felt excitement. To go all out against a powerful opponent… even Naruto and Sasuke seemed to look forward to it. It was what all strong shinobi were like. They got a rush from an intense battle. They were assassins.

It was almost too much for Juugo, who was finding it difficult to suppress his overwhelming need to kill. He was getting better at it though. At the moment, he was telling himself over and over that he soon would be able to let loose. He just had to wait a little longer…

"Just a little longer," he hissed, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Hang in there, Juugo," said Suigetsu, grinning. "But I gotta say, I know what you're going through." He swung his sword around for the nth time that afternoon, slicing a young sapling cleanly in half. "Just a little longer," he growled. "And Samehada will be mine!"

"Save your energy, Suigetsu," Sasuke said quietly. He was standing still, his arms crossed, glaring at nothing in particular. "Anything yet, Karin?"

Karin frowned, deep in concentration. "I'm starting to pick out individual chakra, but it's still very faint… Soon though."

Naruto, meanwhile, was unusually quiet. He was running the plan over and over in his head, hating that the first part of it involved having to stay back and hide. Sasuke insisted on analyzing the situation first, plus the blonde needed time and space to get into sage mode. Damn the sage mode for making him rely on hiding a clone! The whole state took too long to get into. Unlike a certain other state of his…

Naruto grabbed his abdomen; an unconscious movement of his whenever the Kyuubi was feeling particularly strong. Clearly, the demon was feeling the enemy chakra as well. And he was still furious from their experience in Danzou's hideout. Naruto shut his eyes. He could feel the demon thrashing around, his abrasive chakra fluctuating wildly. It made his body feel strangely hot. '_Keeping this under control won't be easy,_' he thought grimly. Not that Naruto could blame the fox.

"Naruto?" Karin was looking at him with concern. Apparently, she too could sense the Kyuubi's anger, even when he was still sealed.

Naruto grinned – a little too widely – trying to hide his discomfort. "Just a little excited, that's all!"

"Hmm." Karin bit her lip and turned her gaze out over the valley again. "At any rate, I wish they'd get here already."

Naruto nodded numbly. The team was completely silent for a while, waiting. Even the very air around them was quiet. There was no breeze, no movement. Like the forest itself was holding its breath.

Suddenly, Karin's head snapped up. "They're here!"

Sasuke didn't miss a beat. "Who is it, and how many?"

"That Kisame guy. And behind him are six – no, seven – others." Her eyes narrowed. "But they've got similar chakra. Pain, maybe?"

Sasuke nodded. "Keep to the plan. Let's move out." They were gone before he even finished the order.

As he ran toward the source of Pain's chakra, Sasuke sensed Naruto's presence veering off to his right. He'd half expected the blonde to abandon the plan completely, so he was relieved. As they decided before with the plan, Karin stayed at his side.

"Suigetsu and Juugo have made contact with Kisame," she stated. "Looks like they've already begun to fight." And sure enough, the sound of a large impact rang out in the forest. "But something doesn't feel right," she continued. "Don't you think Akatsuki's acting a little too confident --"

A surge of chakra that they both could feel clearly cut Karin short.

"A summoning technique?" Sasuke murmured.

Karin blinked. "Yeah, up ahead. But then what's – oh shit!" Sasuke turned to ask her what had happened, but his answer was suddenly right in front of them.

No less than nine masked shinobi – Konoha shinobi – blocked their path. Black cloaks shifting in the wind, and chillingly blank stares from behind those masks were all that Karin had time to see before they attacked.

Karin cursed. These guys were fast. But luck was on her side. Both she and Sasuke were the fastest members on their team. With deadly efficiency, the two of them dodged the first set of attacks, leaving no opening; gaining the upper hand despite being seriously outnumbered. Suddenly, with no hesitation, and with no fear for their own safety, two of the masked shinobi appeared right in front of them, forming a series of hand seals that ended in Tiger. Knowing exactly what this meant, Karin launched herself out of the way with a smirk. Using fire attacks against an Uchiha: these guys had no idea what they were up against.

Sure enough, a burst of hot air right over her head signaled Sasuke's counterattack. Karin glanced up just in time to see an enormous raging fireball overwhelm the two much weaker fire attacks. With no time to react, and no defense, the masked ninjas were completely engulfed in the flames. It was the perfect opportunity.

"Sasuke-kun, go!" Karin shouted, leaping between him and the remaining seven shinobi. Sasuke didn't need to be told twice. He leaped ahead, leaving Karin to deal with the Konoha ninja. Pain was a much more difficult opponent.

Nodding to herself, Karin grinned at the blank, masked faces in front of her. Fighting alone against such a powerful enemy: now was the time for her to shine. '_I won't disappoint you, Sasuke-kun_.'

**********

This wasn't going to be easy. There they were, all six of them, glaring at the Uchiha with those strange ringed eyes. Sweat dripping down his face, Sasuke clenched his jaw and gripped his katana tightly. His Sharingan had been activated for some time already. The one that Sasuke had known to be 'Pain' stepped forward.

"Where is the Jinchuuriki?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Not here."

"I see," he said softly.

It happened so fast, that Sasuke was sure he would've died had it not been for the Sharingan. A rush of chakra hit him hard, launching him back into the trees. Cursing, he managed to twist his body around, landing safely. '_What the hell was that just now?_' There was no time to think. The next thing he knew, all six Pains rushed toward him, as well as – Sasuke grimaced – a giant bear, with the largest fangs and claws that he'd ever seen.

Without hesitation, he summoned the largest snake that he could: an enormous black cobra. Raising it's large hooded head, the snake made its way straight toward the bear, sinking its fangs into its shoulder and wrapping itself around the beast's huge torso.

Ignoring the furious roar that shook the forest, Sasuke concentrated on the shinobi before him. From what he'd learned from Naruto, each Pain had a different ability. And the first one that he wanted to take out was the summoner. With a smirk, Sasuke began to fight.

It was one of the most difficult battles that he could remember. The communication between the six of them was flawless. They left hardly any opening. Avoiding their varied attacks was almost more than the Uchiha could handle. Despite this, he still could spare some concentration studying their movements. With his eyes, Sasuke could see pulses of chakra around each ninja's piercings. It was still only a guess, but he was almost positive that it was their way of communicating. How else? It was almost instantaneous, like nerve impulses in the human body. '_Tch. No wonder_.' Just then, the Uchiha saw the kunoichi of the group forming a suspicious hand seal… He smirked. '_Got it_.'

With a flash of light, and the crash of torn machinery, the kunoichi Pain broke apart, pieces of metal flying everywhere. Satisfied, Sasuke withdrew his chidori and glared at the rest of his opponents.

"One down…."

**********

His every nerve tingling with excitement, Naruto paced back and forth in front of his clone, which was sitting completely still, eyes closed.

"Aren't you done yet?!"

The clone opened one eye. "Shut up! This still takes a while." Snorting in disgust, Naruto leapt up into a tree branch, surveying the area. The sounds of an intense battle rang out in the forest, causing even the tree to tremble. Naruto clenched his fists. '_Sasuke… hang on!_'

Below him, Naruto's clone made a grunt of satisfaction. "Done!"

Naruto smiled when he felt a rush of energy, his eyes tingling when they changed into frog mode.

"I already know!" he called down to his clone. "Now, you just stay still and be quiet – huh?" Naruto blinked in surprise. Part of being in sage mode was having a much greater awareness of the area around you. And Naruto was suddenly aware of a presence nearby, somewhere close to Sasuke's battle. The blonde closed his eyes, concentrating. It was Pain's chakra, but it was a little… off. Whoever it was, he wasn't joining in the battle with the other six – wait. Naruto's eyes flew open as the realization hit. He was suddenly remembering the code that ero-sennin left him…

"The real one is not with them!" he whispered, his eyes wide. Then he looked back at his unmoving clone. "Later!" he called. And with a feral smile, Naruto leapt through the trees at top speed, ready to face his master's killer at last.

*********

Not too far away from the fierce battle, the silent forest was interrupted by swift movement in the treetops. Moving so fast that the forest floor burred beneath them, a small group of shinobi tore through the branches of trees, and leapt down to run through a clearing.

"Shit, we've gotta hurry!" Sakura ran at top speed toward the faint sounds of heavy fighting. She suddenly had a really bad feeling. Behind her, Kakashi clenched his fists. Yes, something was definitely off. There was a lot of fighting going on ahead. Too much. And not just in one battle either. '_What's going on?_' Kakashi's eyes narrowed. There was a third presence nearby. It was still faint, but it was a large group. And clearly shinobi. Still unsure, he decided to let the matter rest, for now. He turned to Pakkun.

"Any sign of Sai?"

"Nothing." The dog looked up seriously at his old friend. "Kakashi…"

The man sighed through his mask. "Yeah. I know…. I don't like it either."

**********

Sasuke struggled furiously, gasping for air. In front of him stood four stoic ninjas; their damned ringed eyes empty of all emotion but hatred and contempt. He was trapped against a boulder. Somehow, Pain had immobilized him, though it had come at the price of losing another one of his bodies. '_Damn!_' Sasuke knew it was those eyes. It had to be. But not even his Sharingan could help him see how to get out of the bind. The Pain with the spiked hair stepped forward.

"Why do you fight us, Uchiha?" he whispered. Sasuke gritted his teeth, but didn't answer.

"This whole fight should be pointless to you," Pain continued. "You have no bonds, no future. Just hatred, and the need for revenge. Isn't that right, Sasuke." The Uchiha took in a breath, his face giving away nothing. With eyes that never left Sasuke, Pain began to walk forward, slowly. "You shouldn't be so reckless with your life. Especially for such a trivial matter. You need to live. Avenge your clan, your brother…"

He paused, narrowing his eyes. "Do not concern yourself with that Jinchuuriki, Naruto." At first Sasuke didn't move. His face was hidden behind dark hair. Then he looked up with a smirk.

"Three down…"

Pain's eyes widened, and he whirled around, just in time to see another one – the larger Pain behind him – burst into pieces. On either side of him, Sasuke's clones stood, swords of electricity slowly being drawn back into their hands. It had been a gamble, but it worked. Sasuke had destroyed the Pain that was responsible for the bind. Still smirking, he began to stand.

Pain turned back to the Uchiha, his face livid. Sasuke glared back, shaking as he straightened up. Those clones had taken up far too much chakra for him. He was running out of strength. As the three Pains left prepared to attack again, he swallowed. '_There's no choice then. I'll have to finish this quickly…_" He was just about to activate the Mangekyu Sharingan when –

"_You!_"

The shock of an immensely powerful hit filled the forest as a strange man with dark hair was launched out of the trees, followed by Naruto. The man hit the ground with a resounding crash, sending dust and rocks flying. The three Pains left pitched forward at the impact, and collapsed onto the ground.

Naruto landed next to Sasuke, glaring at them. Sasuke was surprised when he looked at the blonde. Naruto looked more furious, and more dangerous, than he had ever seen him. In that moment, it was very clear why Naruto had been able to take on Pain before. Power was practically radiating off of him.

"Sasuke," he murmured, turning to the Uchiha. "Are you al --"

"I'm fine, dobe." He did not want the blonde to know how desperate he had been.

"Teme! Don't talk to me like that!" Naruto huffed, crossing his arms. "And here I was, all concerned --"

"Don't worry about me."

"But --"

"Quit wasting your breath and concentrate!"

As Sasuke spoke, the strange man stood up, joined by the three Pains. Between dark strands of hair, his cold ringed eyes flashed. Sasuke stared. '_There's another one?_'

"Nagato," Naruto hissed. "I finally found you."

"Jinchuuriki," he answered. "You have no right to call me by that name." Naruto clenched his fists. His eyes, just for a moment, seemed to glow red, and his body was surrounded by a dangerous aura. Sasuke looked at him uncertainly, though his face remained impassive. Being an avenger his whole life, the Uchiha could recognize that look on Naruto's face. Those pained, empty eyes, combined with a nervous, angry determination… It was unmistakable. He wanted revenge.

It wasn't a look that Sasuke thought suited the blonde at all.

"Leave him to me," Naruto stated. "Go help the others." Sasuke hesitated. He could sense two furious battles nearby. His teammates no doubt needed his help. Still… Normally, he would have refused to leave the dobe alone with such an opponent. But now, Naruto was a frog sage. He was without a doubt strong. And besides. Those eyes… they were something that Sasuke understood all too well. There was no arguing with Naruto now. In this moment at least, he was an avenger.

Sasuke clenched his fists. He still didn't like the idea, but he nodded, and turned to leave. He took a few steps, but then paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Dobe." Naruto turned to look at him. Sasuke smirked. "I know it's hard. But don't do something stupid. I don't want to have to save you _again_."

Naruto growled in response, but smiled. "That's my line, teme. And it'll be _your_ sorry ass that _I'll_ be saving!"

"Hn."

Once the Uchiha turned his back and leapt away, Naruto focused on the shinobi in front of him.

"Uchiha Sasuke has committed an even greater offense than I thought." Nagato stated. "Disobeying orders to team with you. How pointless."

Naruto snorted. "A guy like you wouldn't understand." He got into a stance with a determined smile. "You gonna run away again?"

Nagato's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

"Nothing to say?" Naruto asked softly, forming a hand sign. "Fine then."

**********

a/n: Ok, just to make sure there isn't any confusion: In this story, Naruto did fight Pain before. However, Konoha is still standing, and Kakashi is still alive (obviously). Oh, and that Pain and Naruto are fighting in the manga is a coincidence, I swear! (But it may give me ideas for the next chapter...) Anyway, thanks so much for reading! Hopefully the next chapter won't be nearly as difficult. Reviews are always welcome and appreciated!!


	6. Chapter 6

YES! It's a miracle! At long last, I bring you chapter 6! I really am sorry it took so long... Life can be distracting, ya know? Especially where I live, trust me. The good news: It's a pretty long chapter. Enjoy (I hope)!!

Warnings: This chapter is a little violent and angsty, although not too bad I think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 6

Sasuke cursed. From behind him, he could hear Naruto's furious shout, cut off by what sounded suspiciously like an explosion. But he refused to look back. He couldn't see them anyway and besides… He frowned. Turning back would only lead to running back, and that would mean getting involved with the dobe's battle. And he couldn't do that. It was Naruto's fight, which was what the Uchiha kept telling himself, but it would also piss Naruto off to no end if he came back acting like the idiot needed protecting. And for some reason, Sasuke didn't want to piss him off. Not this time, anyway.

Shaking his head, the Uchiha concentrated instead on finding Karin. He knew her battle was a difficult one. She was outnumbered, and those ninjas had to be from Konoha's Root. It was clear in their speed, fighting efficiency, and – Sasuke suppressed a shudder – the way that they had no concern for their own lives.

Sasuke picked up his speed at the sound of fighting up ahead, his hair whipping around his face as he jumped from tree branch to tree branch, his feet barely making any contact with the hard wood. He was nearly there when – '_What the hell?_' Sasuke twisted in midair and threw his body behind the trunk of a massive tree. His hair stood on end. There was a group of shinobi approaching and one of them was – Sasuke's eyes hardened. There was no mistaking it. Quietly, he stepped out from behind the tree to meet the approaching shinobi head on.

"So nice to meet you here, Uchiha."

Sasuke's blood ran cold. And then hot; pounding in his ears as his entire being filled with fury. It had been years, but he could recognize that hateful voice anywhere. Slowly, the Uchiha looked up to stare at the man, his empty sharingan eyes filled with hatred.

"Danzou."

The old man chuckled. "You always were arrogant. Just like your entire clan." His one eye glared coldly at Sasuke, who matched it with a furious glare of his own. "I am Hokage now," he stated. "And you are just a traitor... A mistake that should have died years ago." Danzou paused, and smiled slightly.

If he wanted to provoke the Uchiha, Danzou was disappointed. Sasuke was unmoving. His only response was his eyes, which narrowed slightly.

"And you want to fight me?" he asked, his voice condescending.

"I would never stoop so low." Danzou answered. From the trees all around them, more shinobi appeared, their blank animal masks glinting eerily. Danzou smiled. "My business is with a certain Jinchuuriki. After his fight's over, of course." He turned his back and began to disappear into the trees.

With a snarl, Sasuke leapt after him. His way was immediately blocked, however, by several root shinobi. His mind filled with fury, the Uchiha lashed out. There was no logic anymore. He had to defeat these new opponents and defeat them now.

Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he had been filled with such rage and urgency. Not only did he desperately want his revenge, but he also wanted to protect Naruto… Sasuke gritted his teeth, suddenly remembering exactly when he had last felt such a powerful mix of emotions. It had been years ago, but when he had heard that Itachi had been seen in Konoha and was after Naruto, he had been filled with such hate and fear that he nearly got himself killed.

Sasuke mentally shook himself, forcing his mind away from the thought and focusing on the shinobi before him. They hadn't moved yet, and as much as the Uchiha wanted to think that they were hesitating out of fear, he knew better. They were waiting for him to make the first move, waiting until he left an opening.

Silence stretched between them as they studied each other. One opponent against ten… the odds weren't exactly good, even if he had dealt with much worse, and Sasuke could tell just by looking at them that they were among Konoha's best. There was no doubt that the Uchiha could defeat them, and they probably knew it. What mattered to them was holding him up for as long as possible.

Sasuke clenched his fists. He didn't have time for this. Focusing his chakra as much as he could on his speed, the Uchiha leapt at the enemy, his sword drawn. He moved impossibly fast, twisting, flipping, slashing. His body was little more than a blur, leaving trails of blood in its wake. The only signs of his katana were brief flashes of light and drawn blood. But the Root shinobi were relentless; the Uchiha just couldn't get an opening to push through. _'Damn!_'

Just when Sasuke thought he'd have to do something really drastic and deplete what precious chakra he had left, a shinobi with a very familiar chakra jumped up behind him and stabbed another masked ninja with a swift flick of his sword. Sasuke was too concentrated on the fight to be surprised. He tilted his head slightly even while dodging several attacks at once and flashed a cautious glance at the dark-haired assassin.

"Just what the hell are you doing here, Sai?" Sasuke demanded. As usual, the Root ninja smiled, and removed his mask.

"Surprised? Show a little more gratitude, Uchiha."

Despite their intense training, the other enemy shinobi hesitated, unsure of what to do with the unexpected betrayal. Both Sasuke and Sai took advantage of this. Before anyone could blink, Sai's scroll and brush were out, his artwork already coming to life even before the enemy could realize the danger. Sasuke by then had already released his chidori through his blade, taking out two shinobi at once with a light-quick attack with deadly efficiency.

"Sasuke, go!" Sai shouted. He sounded unusually sincere. And urgent. Wasting no time, Sasuke heeded his advice and launched himself through the branches, trying to get out of the range of his attackers. He didn't quite make it.

"And where do you think you're going, traitor?" a cat-masked ninja snarled. He was suddenly right in front of Sasuke, somehow managing to catch the Uchiha by surprise and effectively blocking his path. Wire shot out of nowhere and pinned Sasuke's arms to his sides. With eyes glittering wickedly, the masked ninja pulled the wire hard, so that it cut into Sasuke's flesh. Sasuke hissed in anger and pain and stood still. He was beyond angry now. This ninja had no idea of who he was messing with.

"Sai, what is the meaning of this?" the cat-masked ninja snapped over his shoulder. Sai looked over after effectively immobilizing the last several Root shinobi. He smiled.

"That's none of your concern, senpai. And besides…." He grinned even wider. "I'm not the one you should be worried about."

With widened eyes, the ninja whirled around to face Sasuke, but it was too late. He dropped dead before he even had the chance to realize how the Uchiha got free. Sai looked at the broken body of his former senpai for a moment with disgust on his face. Then he looked up at Sasuke.

"Well done. But more of them are on their way. I'll hold them off. You'd better get going." He grinned as Sasuke turned to leave. "Your lover needs you."

Sasuke's head snapped around so fast, he nearly got whiplash.

"_You_ --!"

"Hurry up! He's in trouble!" Sai shouted, waving him off. "Don't keep him waiting."

Sasuke snarled, glaring daggers at the Root ninja. Then he was gone, cursing. If the situation wasn't so urgent… He hoped they would live through this. Because he was going to _kill_ that damned Sai.

**********

Naruto cursed for the nth time that night as he barely avoided, yet again, a deadly attack from the god-realm Pain. He and Nagato were the only ones left to deal with. '_Just like last time_,' Naruto thought bitterly. Moving flawlessly, the blonde waited for his chance to attack god-realm when he was at his most vulnerable. There was only a small window of time to do so, however, and Nagato made sure to get in the way just in time.

"Oh come _on_!" Naruto's clone growled as he slid to a halt on the blonde's right. Another clone did the same on his left. All three of them were still in sage mode, although they were very quickly running out of time to stay that way. Of course, Nagato was well-aware of this. All he needed to do was put all his energy into avoiding the sage attacks and wait.

"Should we perform a summons?" one of the clones asked. Naruto shook his head with a grimace.

"I can't let any more of them die because of this guy. I'm taking him down alone."

"You sure you can waste time talking?" Naruto whirled around just in time to miss the massive surge of gravity from Pain's outstretched hand. The clone on his left wasn't so lucky.

"Shit!" The clone few backwards and slammed into a young sapling. The slender tree snapped in half, but luckily gave enough resistance that the clone didn't disappear.

Naruto turned on Pain and snarled in fury. "You little --"

"Gyaaah!" A surprised and angry scream cut Naruto off and caused both him and Pain to look toward the forest in alarm. A bright dagger of light shot from the treetops, pushing a dark figure into the ground with incredible force before cutting a deep line into the earth, the figure still at the end of it. Naruto squinted his eyes in confusion, but then heard that unmistakable sound: chidori.

His chidori blade still held firmly against the figure, Sasuke leapt smoothly out of the tree, his Sharingan flashing furiously.

"Danzou." he hissed. "What the hell is this? What have you done?"

Naruto's eyes widened with surprise and hatred at the name, but then his stomach suddenly burned with a terrible fire, making him gasp in pain. Grabbing at the burning seal, the blonde stared at the form of Danzou standing up slowly, one hand grasping the blade firmly – the blade, Naruto noticed – that had somehow not pierced through him at all.

Danzou laughed. "What have I done? I have harnessed the power of the Kyuubi. With his chakra, I have begun the creation of a great weapon: a weapon that will make Konoha's shinobi indestructible!" He laughed again, and that's when Naruto noticed a black collar about the man's neck, glowing red with the demon's chakra.

"Fool," Nagato stated calmly nearby. "You lied to Akatsuki for that? That power won't do you any good once I control the Kyuubi."

At the sound of Nagato's voice, Naruto suddenly remembered just what it was that he wanted to do. Rage and the need for revenge overcame his surprise and pain from the Kyuubi's reaction. From across the clearing, he met Sasuke's gaze for a brief moment, communicating with that brief eye contact that, yes, he would continue to fight Pain. Sasuke would deal with Danzou. It was strange. Now both he and Sasuke were avengers. It gave them a depth of understanding that they had never shared before.

With a rush of confidence and energy, Naruto whirled around to attack god-realm, causing the shinobi to thrust his hand forward in defense, sending the blonde flying backwards. But Naruto's clone was already rushing in to fill his place, trying to hit Pain before the god-realm could recover. Seeing the danger, Nagato rushed to intercept, pointing one finger at the clone in a deadly move that could cause an explosion anywhere he focused his energy. He would have succeeded, but Nagato had forgotten about Naruto's third clone. Without making a sound, the clone had snuck up behind the ninja and now made his move, sending a vicious wave of wind-natured chakra that sliced through the air with a shriek.

Cursing, Nagato dove out of the way, his Akatsuki robe torn to shreds behind him with the cutting power of Naruto's attack. At the same time, Naruto's other clone finally landed a solid punch on a surprised Pain. Its force snapped the god-realm's head back, and knocked him clear across the clearing. The shinobi's unusually heavy body slammed into the earth several times before he had a chance to catch himself.

There was no time to feel victorious, however. Once again, Naruto's seal flared to life, and he nearly staggered backwards with the spasm of heat and pain that flared through his body. Inside his ears, he heard a rushing sound, combined with a furious, muted roar. The Kyuubi was really angry now. He could sense his stolen chakra. Blinking tears out of his eyes, Naruto looked towards Sasuke, even as he continued his desperate fight against Nagato.

**********

The Uchiha was having trouble. By twisting a knob on his collar, Danzou was able to call forth some of the Kyuubi's stored chakra. But what worried Sasuke was how well Danzou could control it. He had somehow refined the chakra to work under his bidding, and right now, the old man had the equivalent of two tails released and under his complete control.

'_But it's not perfect_' Sasuke thought, studying the red cloak swirling about Danzou's body. Through his sick experiments, the old man may have been able to control the chakra, but there was no protecting himself from its terribly abrasive nature. Even now, Danzou's breathing was becoming labored, and lacerations were appearing on his arms and face.

Despite the terrible danger that he was in, Sasuke smirked. At the very least, Danzou's body would not be able to handle the chakra for much longer. And judging by what he saw in the room that had imprisoned Naruto, three tails would be all that Danzou had at his disposal. But still -- Sasuke launched himself out of the way of a burst of white-hot chakra that would have killed him if it hit – dealing with three tails alone would likely be too much. He'd have to finish this quickly.

Too late. With a maniacal laugh, Danzou twisted the knob of his collar the rest of the way.

"Take this, Uchiha!" he shouted as the red chakra flared dramatically. From behind him, Sasuke caught sight of Naruto stumbling backwards, holding his abdomen as though in pain. Had it not been for his clones… Sasuke winced when he saw them deflect an attack to protect him. Yes, he _really_ had to finish this quickly.

"You sure you can look away?" a rough voice growled close behind him. His blood running cold, Sasuke whirled around to face Danzou, who had clearly gained a great deal of speed and power. The old man drew his hand back, ready to make the final blow, when Sasuke, out of instinct, switched his eyes to the Mangekyu Sharingan.

Danzou froze. Sweat poured down his neck as his eyes widened in confusion and fear. Sasuke glared at him, willing his eyes to suppress the Kyuubi's chakra just as he had suppressed the flames of Amaterasu in his fight against the Eight-Tails. Even with only three tails, it was difficult to do – Danzou had control over the chakra as well, after all. The two of them began to struggle in a motionless battle, trying to gain the upper hand through the force of will alone.

"Sasuke, look out!" Naruto's panicked yell reached Sasuke's ears just in time. He spun around and managed to block, just barely, Nagato's jet black katana with his own. At the same time, Danzou, now free of the Sharingan's power, began to mold an enormous amount of chakra between his hands.

"Leave the traitor to me, he's mine!" he shrieked. Sasuke's head snapped around to see a great concentration of chakra, white-hot and promising pure destruction, beginning to expand in front of Danzou's outstretched palms. Sasuke saw, as though in slow motion, that chakra being directed at him. There was nothing he could do. Sasuke tensed, muscles bunching, ready to flee for his life even as he knew it would be useless, when his eyes caught sign of impossibly fast movement, heard Naruto's yell –

"Hah!"

It happened so fast, that no one was entirely sure of what happened. Somehow Naruto had appeared, just as Danzou had released all of his chakra into a single attack, and forced it down away from Sasuke just as its power was released. The blast rivaled Naruto's own back on the Heaven and Earth Bridge. All four of them – Naruto, Sasuke, Danzou, and Nagato – got caught in the blast, which shattered the ground beneath it, and hit them all with enough raw force to launch them in different directions, scattering the shinobi like dry leaves in a gale.

Sasuke hit the ground, hard. He heard a sickening crack of breaking bone, but ignored it. Naruto was falling toward him, and appeared to be unconscious. Filled with urgency to protect him, Sasuke pushed himself up with as much speed as he could muster. He didn't manage to catch the blonde, but broke his fall, just as he was about to hit the ground. The two of them rolled across the forest floor and slid to a stop.

Coughing, Naruto opened his eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Sasuke rasped. The fall had knocked the wind out of him. And still the blast's power shook the forest around them, filling the clearing with dust and rocks and the wood of shattered trees.

Naruto squinted his eyes, trying to see through the flying debris, blinking away the sweat pouring down his face. He wasn't letting himself feel it yet, but his body was exhausted. That move he pulled to save Sasuke had taken way too much chakra. He was nearing his limit.

"Sasuke," he said. His voice came out forced and dry.

Wiping blood away from his forehead impatiently, the Uchiha glanced at him. "What?"

"I have an idea."

**********

Less than a minute later, the two of them, accompanied by Naruto's two clones, walked together toward their opponents, who were still trying to recover from the damage done by Danzou's attack. Nagato hung back, glaring at the two of them with pure venom. Danzou and Pain, however, wasted no time. They rushed forward from opposite ends of the clearing, driven by hatred and the need to forever stop the two young shinobi that had caused them so much trouble.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto. "Ready?"

Naruto nodded as his eyes hardened with determination. "We only have one chance at this."

As Pain and Danzou got closer, he began, with the help of his clones, the formation of his most powerful attack: Rasen Shuriken. He completed it within moments. The technique sent out a chilling shriek as it spun in Naruto's hand.

"Hurry!" Naruto hissed through gritted teeth. "I can't hold on much longer!" Sasuke made the hand seals and waited for the perfect moment... There!

"Ready!" he shouted. "Do it! Throw it now!"

"Right!" With as much energy as he could muster, Naruto spun around and threw his attack as hard as he could toward the fast-approaching enemies. Just as the spinning, shrieking orb left his hand, he heard Sasuke's shout:

"*Katon Gouryuuka No Jutsu!"

A massive ball of fire, forming into the shape of a dragon's head, burst outward, merging with Naruto's own attack.

The result was even more destructive than either of them thought possible. They knew that wind-natured chakra could enhance fire-natured chakra, but neither of them had actually tried to combine the two at such a high level. It really did have devastating effects.

The Rasen Shuriken, surrounded by explosive fire, expanded in size dramatically even before it hit Pain and Danzou. And it was so fast… neither of the shinobi could have possibly avoided it. It was impossible. Once the combined attack made contact, it exploded with a rush of heat and blinding light, tearing up the ground with an almost human-like scream. The overflow of chakra rushed out in a spinning gale, causing a strong, hot wind to swirl around the battlefield with almost enough force to blow Sasuke and Naruto off their feet. And all the while, dust filled the air to create a thick, heavy haze like smoke.

Sasuke bent over, gasping. His lungs burned with every breath he took, and his body shook with exhaustion. As the blast faded away, he turned to Naruto. The blonde was on the ground, unable to find the strength to stand. It had been too much for him. He was taking shallow, shuddering breaths and was shivering uncontrollably. The sage mode was gone, as were the two clones. Naruto didn't have the chakra to support them anymore. Worried, Sasuke frowned.

"Naruto --"

He was cut off by a terrible scream of rage and pain at the other end of the clearing.

Nagato stood over what remained of the god-realm Pain, breathing hard. His eyes were lit with pain and the worst kind of rage as he glared at the two younger shinobi.

"_You!_" he shrieked. He was shaking, not only with anger, Sasuke noticed, but with a very fast buildup of chakra. "You destroyed him! You destroyed him!!" His eyes took on a wild, inhuman gleam. "I will never forgive you – _never!_" He made a series of hand seals that Sasuke had never seen before, forming them so fast that not even the Uchiha could follow them. Nagato bared his teeth and raised his clasped hands in front of his face.

"Now," he hissed, the rings around his eyes glowing. "Now you will feel my pain!!"

Nothing could have prepared Sasuke for what happened then. Nothing. The very air around them turned dark and foul, and he barely had time to grab Naruto around the middle before the two of them were swept into another dimension.

It was even worse than what the Mangekyu Sharingan could create. The world swam before Sasuke's eyes, forming and dissolving. The air was thick and suffocating and very hot. It was very disorienting. To ground himself, Sasuke tightened his hold on Naruto. And that's when the pain started.

It was agony. Far worse than anything he had felt before. Despite many years of keeping himself under control, not even Sasuke could prevent the raw scream that tore through his throat. Beside him, he could hear Naruto do the same, though he could barely register anything through the overwhelming pain. Squinting through the tears, Sasuke watched in horror as his skin was slowly burned and torn apart, as though by many tiny blades.

'_What the hell is this?!_' Desperate, the Uchiha looked around for answers. His gaze fell on Naruto, who managed to raise his head and look at him. Cerulean met onyx, and Sasuke's breath hitched. That's right. He had something to protect. Holding onto the feeling that he shared with his most precious person, Sasuke took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the most intricate and powerful Sharingan spun rapidly in his eyes.

'_I can see!_'

**********

As the pain disappeared, Naruto opened his eyes. To be free of that hell… it was like taking a breath of the purest air after nearly drowning. It was the most blessed feeling. No injury could possibly compare to what he just felt. Swallowing, he looked around. They were deeper in the forest, hiding under a small thicket. Realizing what must have happened, the blonde turned to Sasuke, his heart warm with gratitude and pride and something else that he couldn't quite understand.

Sasuke was kneeling beside him, breathing hard. He was covered in a cold sweat, and was staring fixedly in front of him as blood flowed like tears down his face. Following his gaze, Naruto saw the last signs of a pitch-black fire being smothered to nothing. He turned back in surprise to stare at Sasuke in wonder. '_He can smother Amaterasu? What is this new Sharingan?_'

"Sasuke," he whispered in amazement, coughing weakly. "What did you do?"

Sasuke continued to take in shallow, trembling breaths as he answered. "It was… some type of genjustu… never seen it before, but… but it made us feel, very slowly, the last moments of Pain's existence… Feeling our attack as it killed him…" He paused for a moment. He was very pale. "I saw through it… and counterattacked with my Sharingan's technique…" He gritted his teeth. "Ran away," he hissed. "I couldn't kill him…"

His strength gone, Sasuke fell forward. Very gently, even while his own body could barely move, Naruto reached out and caught his friend, lowering him carefully to the ground. For a moment, the two of them didn't move, but lay quietly together, trying in vain to regain their strength, taking desperate gasps of the cool and damp forest air. Drawing support from one another.

Naruto closed his eyes, thinking hard. They were in a bad situation now. Very bad. Nagato wasn't dead yet, and Sasuke was in no state to fight anymore. And he wasn't much better. '_Shit._' Naruto grabbed a fistful of soft earth, knowing that all other options had run out. There was only one thing left to do.

Naruto took in a shaky breath and turned to Sasuke, who was watching him through glazed eyes. Naruto held his gaze for a moment. Sasuke was going to hate this. But the blonde had already made up his mind.

"Just this once…" he whispered, his lips moist and sticky with blood. "…please… depend on me."

Sasuke struggled to hang on to consciousness, fighting against the darkness that gathered at the edges of his vision as he stared at Naruto in alarm. With a sickening feeling in his chest, he realized just what it was that his teammate planned to do. '_The Kyuubi?! Oh gods please, no! Not that, you idiot!_' With a massive effort, Sasuke reached out and grabbed Naruto's wrist in a silent plea. His voice failed him, and came out as a wet cough instead.

Naruto's eyes softened at Sasuke's angry and worried look. The blonde smiled in a way that he hoped was reassuring, and pushed himself up, giving Sasuke's hand a gentle squeeze as he did so.

"Trust me," he whispered. Sasuke held his gaze for a moment longer, but then he closed his eyes; a sign of resignation.

Naruto took in a deep breath to steady himself, even while his legs threatened to give way beneath him and while his vision swam. It was like he was trying to stand on a boat in the middle of a storm. Clenching his jaw against the threat of nausea, the blonde stumbled forward. As he walked into the clearing, he saw the broken form of Danzou thirty feet away, his body twisted strangely in the dirt. Then Naruto's eyes shifted to another form, standing dark and quiet in front of him. Nagato.

The man glared at Naruto with pure hatred in his eyes. His chakra, his massive killing intent, smothered the clearing, making Naruto choke. The very air around them seemed too thick to breathe in.

"All by ourselves, Jinchuuriki?" the man whispered. His bloodshot, ringed eyes narrowed, and his face split into a wild grin. He looked more animal than human, with long matted hair, bared teeth, and the lust for the kill. Naruto simply glared at him in response, saying nothing.

"There is nothing left for you to do, is there?" Nagato sneered. "So what are you waiting for? Use it!" His eyes took on a crazed gleam. "Show me the power of the Kyuubi!" At those words, which ended in a shriek, he rushed forward, impossibly fast, and pulled out a kunai.

Naruto stood calmly, watching the man approach as though in slow motion. The pressure was building up within him, red and furious, and becoming too much to bear. Acting now, before he had any second thoughts, was the only thing left to do. With a sharp intake of breath, Naruto slammed his hands together in front of him, and called upon the Kyuubi.

**********

At once, Naruto was violently drawn into the massive chamber where the seal held the fox demon in its cage. It was overwhelming. The atmosphere in the chamber was completely different, and so much more intense, than it had ever been before. The Kyuubi was furious, his chakra causing the normally still water on the floor to rage, rising up in huge, foamy waves that crashed against the walls, their currents pulling Naruto closer to the leering demon. And all around, an evil and powerful wind howled, its sound mixing with the strange shrieking sound of chakra. It was almost deafening.

"Release it!" the Kyuubi roared above the noise. "Release the seal!" He pressed his massive face against the bars holding him back, his lips pulled back into a snarl. Naruto swallowed. This close, the demon's power was so strong, it hurt. But what was really frightening, more than the fox's size, more than his chakra even, was the strange feeling that the Kyuubi's rage was starting to feel like his own… And when the fox pulled back for a moment, only to slam his body, full force, into the bars of the cage, Naruto felt a furious impatience bubbling up in his chest, as he too, felt a great urge to break something, to break away from the tie that held them bound together. Or wait, were these feelings his own that the demon was only mirroring?

Naruto's lips pulled back in a very fox-like snarl as he clenched his fists, willing his body to remain still. He was quickly losing the internal battle, however, and gritted his teeth in an effort to stop himself from lashing out at the demon's seal. '_Damn!_' He was so calm and determined a moment ago, why was he suddenly so irrationally angry?

'_What is this?!_' With a shout, Naruto held his head between his hands, his eyes squeezed shut as he grabbed fistfuls of hair. But he couldn't block out the feeling. He was seeing red, and not as though he was separated from it. In fact, the red chakra felt like his own.

"What have you done?" Naruto shouted.

The Kyuubi's deep voice rang out in laughter. "I'm not doing anything. This is also your rage." He lowered his head so that he gazed at Naruto's level with one furious eye. "We are bound by chains of hate," he growled. "And you hate them as much as I do."

"The hell does that mean?!" Naruto snarled. There was something definitely off here, and it was extremely unnerving. The Kyuubi shifted to tilt his head back slightly, his one crimson eye never leaving the blonde's face. It made the dim light glint off his large, sharp fangs as the demon smiled in response to Naruto's discomfort.

"That detestable room," he growled softly. "It drained my chakra, and yours, almost completely… enough so that, to recover, they mixed together. And interestingly enough, they have done so again. What very interesting chakra you have, brat."

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

The demon snorted in disgust. "Idiot. By blending together, our new, shared chakra is more suited to your body. It doesn't cause you as much damage." The Kyuubi straightened up, looking down at Naruto. "You may have been the reason for trapping me in that room, helpless as you are. But in the end, it was your resilient chakra that helped us heal." Naruto could only stare, stunned, at this admission.

"Disgusting," the Kyuubi continued. "To think that we would grow to depend on each other. However…" he grinned wildly, "For the moment, I will accept it. It is time, _Naruto_." He spoke the name in a low growl, almost like a purr. It made the hair on the back of Naruto's neck stand on end. It was never a good thing when the Kyuubi was happy. "After all that's been done to you," the demon continued. "And therefore to me… you want to punish those responsible, don't you? You want to put an end to it all. So why do you fight your rage? Use it! It is time we finish this."

Naruto looked up then and noticed with surprise, and more than a little alarm, that chakra – both blue and red – was flowing freely between them, moving like smoke through the bars of the cage. And for a moment, he felt a rush of real fear, though it was quickly smothered by the Kyuubi's excitement.

"What the hell's going on?" Naruto demanded, though with a sinking feeling, he already knew the answer.

The Kyuubi bared his teeth halfway between a snarl and a grin. "Don't play dumb, brat. You can feel it as well as I… The seal is weakening." As though to prove it, the fox lurched forward and sent a massive wave of chakra through the cage; a dark blood-red mixture of his and Naruto's chakra. Naruto's head snapped up in alarm. He tried to move -- surely such chakra would kill him – but he was rooted to the spot. The chakra hovered for a moment right above the blonde's head, as though responding to Naruto's shock, but then it crashed down like a landslide, smothering him before he even had time to react.

Naruto screamed, though more out of surprise and fear than actual pain. All he could feel was a massive pressure pushing in from the outside. It healed his injuries and forced out all the air out of his lungs, leaving him winded. It was bright, too. Some reaction caused a burst of hot, white light, making Naruto wonder vaguely if this was what being struck by lightning was like.

And then it was over. Naruto opened his eyes and looked around. He was on the floor, his heart pounding, looking up at the Kyuubi towering above him through the bars of the cage. Naruto stood up, wincing. It felt like he had just been punched. He looked up at the fox with a furious glare.

"You bastard fox! What the hell did you just do?" Naruto didn't like the emotion that he felt at all. He – or the Kyuubi -- was satisfied about something.

"Now," the demon growled, ignoring Naruto's question. "Now, _we_ finish this."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but it was too late. He was swept away from the chamber with a great lurch, and forcibly thrown back outside, where Nagato was charging at him.

**********

Coughing and choking, Sasuke forced himself up on his hands and knees. It didn't take a genius to realize that something bad was about to happen. And Sasuke _was_ a genius. He knew better than to ignore the oppressive feeling of foreboding. Something wasn't right.

"Naruto," he hissed. It was too difficult to stand, but that didn't mean that Sasuke couldn't move. Ignoring the broken twigs and thorns scraping against his body, the Uchiha pulled himself forward, a little at a time, determined to reach the blonde idiot before he got himself killed.

After several agonizing minutes, torn apart by a terrible demonic chakra and fierce battle up ahead, Sasuke finally reached the clearing. He was beaten, exhausted, and covered in scratches and not a little blood. Filled with adrenaline, however, it was difficult to determine just how much of the blood was his. Judging by the sharp pain in his right side, though, he had at least one broken rib. Sasuke cursed as he shifted uncomfortably in the undergrowth and peered through the leaves and twigs just as a tremor like an earthquake shook him to his core.

At the sight before him, Sasuke's breath caught in his chest as he stared in horror. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

"Naruto…"

**********

* "Fire Technique Great Dragon Fire"

AN: .... And there you have it. Chapter 6. I swear this story has run away with me. I would never have expected my first story to be so freaking long! I have more good news, though: I'm already well into Chapter 7, which I _hope_ will finish this story. But with my luck, it probably won't... Oh, and I know I don't deserve it, after taking so long to update, but reviews really would be nice!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 at last... Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Warnings: Violence

Chapter 7

Sakura ran faster than she had ever run in her life, even as her lungs burned and her chest felt like it was being crushed with the effort. Shaking hair out of her eyes, she cursed – in a very unladylike way – as a sob racked her body when she saw, for the second time in only a few minutes, a massive flare of light rising above the trees. Moments later, the expected rumble like thunder, followed by a great tremor, confirmed it: another explosion. Shaking, Sakura turned to Pakkun, panting heavily as he ran beside her.

"Any idea of what's happening?"

The small dog shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine. But knowing Naruto, he's right in the middle of it. His and Sasuke's scent are here at any rate. They passed by this way not too long ago – Wait." Pakkun lifted his head, sniffing eagerly as the wind changed. His eyes widened with alarm.

"What? What is it?" Sakura demanded.

"That battle up ahead. It's him and Sasuke, all right," he answered somberly.

"What, they're fighting each other?" Yamato asked in alarm.

"No," Pakkun stated. "They're fighting against… Pain, I think. But he's not alone." The dog growled softly in frustration. It was very difficult to pick out individual scents in the midst of such a fierce battle and mixture of chakra. He looked at Kakashi over his shoulder. "Any ideas?"

The silver-haired shinobi frowned. The scents were just as confusing for him. But for a moment he thought he caught the scent of… No. That couldn't be right. Concentrating as much as he could while running, Kakashi tested the air again. And there it was. It just had to be.

"I'm not sure about this, but…" His eyes hardened as his mind already filled with the consequences of this new development. "It's Danzou. Danzou's fighting out there."

**********

How many tails? He couldn't tell. All around Naruto's body a strange smoky, chakra-filled haze swirled around, making the strangest, bone-chilling shriek that made Sasuke's hair stand on end. This was even worse than he thought. The demon's power was just too much for a human body to handle. Before, in that room, Sasuke had seen the four-tailed state chakra very clearly. And this… this was not like that at all. It was far stronger. And darker.

Through his fear, Sasuke was still amazed, however. The Kyuubi's chakra was overwhelming, but it was somehow far less abrasive than it should have been. The Uchiha narrowed his eyes. '_Just what the hell is going on?_'

The battle between Nagato and Naruto – or was it the Kyuubi by this time? – raged on. With a roar of rage and hate, the dark-haired ninja slammed his hands into the ground, sending up a great spike of rock right into the haze surrounding Naruto. There was a terrible groan of broken earth and stone grating on stone as a massive wind from the chakra overload howled, blowing all the hair back from Sasuke's face… And exposing Naruto as it swept away the haze.

Ignoring the bloody tears running down his face, Sasuke forced his eyes to remain in their Sharingan form as he stared, stunned, at the sight before him. '_One, two, three… five tails??_'

It was strange, though. Naruto was still somewhat recognizable. His blood no longer mixed with the demon's chakra. Instead, the chakra – a deep, dark red – wrapped tightly around his body. It was so concentrated, it looked solid. Naruto's form was barely a dark silhouette within it. The demon's cloak glinted strangely in some places, forming to look like claws and fangs, and making Naruto's slitted eyes glow.

Sasuke caught the sight just as Naruto's form leapt up, effortlessly, to avoid the deadly spire of rock. So quick that only Sasuke's sharingan could register, he then pivoted in midair and with a great sweep of his arm, sliced the rock cleanly in half with his claws. Sasuke blinked at this. '_So the chakra _is_ solid?_'

Before he could even complete the thought, Naruto had already rushed forward towards Nagato in a counterattack. He was blocked, however, by the strongest chakra shield that Sasuke had ever seen. It knocked Naruto's form back a dozen yards, even as it shattered at the impact, sending rocks and debris flying everywhere. The ground shook, and Sasuke had to raise an arm above his head to shield himself.

At first, nothing was visible. Just the dust swirling around, hiding everything from sight. But then the dark, five-tailed form of Naruto rose up, slowly. He snarled furiously, his fangs and claws becoming even more defined. That strange dark haze of overflowing chakra whipped about him, dancing around his body like fire, as though in response to his incredible fury.

He glared over the battleground at Nagato through angry, glowing eyes. He was still on all-fours, but somehow seemed much taller. Imposing and dangerous. He was a creature that demanded the utmost fear and respect.

"Disgusting, pathetic human!" the demon spat in a low growl. Sasuke's heart froze. It was the Kyuubi's voice.

Nagato inhaled sharply in confusion and surprise. "Kyuubi," he breathed. His eyes narrowed "You're different this time. So you're conscious in that form…" Nagato paused, and seemed to consider the situation. Fighting against a possessed Naruto was one thing. Although a competent ninja, Naruto lacked the experience and control to fight properly with the demon's chakra. Now, however, Naruto's body and the Kyuubi's chakra worked in perfect harmony. And not only that, the Kyuubi himself was in control. Awesome power, millennia of experience, a logical mind… it was too dangerous of a combination to be at odds with.

Nagato stood up straight and managed a short bow. "I mean you no disrespect or ill will, Kyuubi," he said quietly. "But I need your power. And in exchange," he smiled slightly, "I will free you of that… human prison."

The Kyuubi crouched, motionless for a moment. Only his five tails moved about him in a slow, smooth rhythm. Then he laughed. It was a low, merciless laugh. Filled with malice. It made Sasuke's blood run cold. Just the fact that such a laugh came out of Naruto made him sick. A demon's laugh and voice… It should never come out of a human, especially Naruto. It was just wrong.

"Pathetic. Truly pathetic," the Kyuubi said, still grinning. Then he grew serious, his grin fading into a condescending snarl. "You humans never change."

"And why does that matter?" Nagato asked. "You will be rid of the Jinchuuriki."

The Kyuubi shook his head. "No, no. You don't understand." He dug his sharp claws into the ground, preparing to attack. "I am not fighting you in self-defense."

Nagato took a step back. "So then what --"

"To destroy," the demon hissed. His killing intent increased dramatically. "I will destroy you filth that brought me so low… the one who dares to undermine my power. Who _dares_ to use my Jinchuuriki for his own, cowardly reasons!" The demon's slitted pupils contracted into thin lines as his fury and excitement grew. His body was tense and perfectly still. "You should have realized," he said softly. "This vessel is closely connected to me through the seal. His chakra and rage fuel my own power." The Kyuubi bared his fangs in a snarl as his eyes narrowed, honing in on the kill. "Allowing Naruto to be tortured was a very, very bad idea."

The demon launched forward with unnatural speed before Nagato could think of a response. He crossed the clearing in the blink of an eye, and slid to a stop right behind his enemy.

"Now," he growled, dangerously calm, "You will die."

The Kyuubi then struck at Nagato, sending the man flying with one powerful swipe. But Nagato was ready. He landed safely, if roughly, on his feet. He glared at the demon standing impassively from across the clearing, and slowly lifted his arm. And then he pointed his finger, right at the demon's chest.

The explosion was fast and loud, little more than a great flash of light and a sound like gunfire. The Kyuubi avoided this easily, but then another followed it. And another. Nagato kept a steady aim, his finger pointed and motionless, sending explosion after explosion. The fox-demon danced around each one with perfect speed and grace, almost as though he was enjoying himself. But then Nagato sent an explosion that hit its mark. There was a brief flash of light, but no sound. Sasuke blinked, his eyes watering from all of the smoke, trying to see what had happened.

Then he saw. The Kyuubi was standing perfectly still and unharmed. And in between his clawed hands was a bright glowing ball, held carefully in check: Nagato's bomb of chakra. The demon smiled – and then threw it with incredible force back to its owner. Nagato didn't stand a chance. It was just too fast and unexpected. There was another flash, a _bang_, and then only the smell of smoke and sulfur.

When the smoke cleared, it revealed a shinobi with long, dark hair, hunched over. He was cradling his right arm to his chest and breathing heavily. There wasn't much left of the limb, and Sasuke could already smell the putrid scent of burned flesh.

The Kyuubi was on all fours again, and was grinning wildly, his eyes taking on a fierce, excited gleam.

"Not bad, not bad," he growled. "But now the game's over." He grew serious then, and glared at Nagato, his eyes full of contempt. "You, who thought yourself a god, will now face retribution from a demon…" He crouched down, readying himself for the final blow. "Goodbye, human," he stated quietly.

**********

Deep within himself, Naruto was staring uncertainly at the Kyuubi through the bars of the cage.

"He – he's dead, right? You killed Nagato, didn't you?" The Kyuubi didn't answer. He was crouched low inside his cage, panting. Naruto frowned. "This isn't right… I don't like killing. Even a guy like that." The demon laughed then, and raised his head. Naruto swallowed nervously. He didn't like that look in those slitted eyes. They gleamed with some terrible kind of excitement.

"But you liked it, didn't you?" the fox murmured. "The smell of his blood… he was so easy to kill." The demon grinned wildly. "I haven't had the chance to kill in a long time."

Naruto frowned. "That's enough. Enough now. We've had our revenge, so calm down." A tremor ran through the Kyuubi's body. He shut his eyes.

"No," he hissed. "I'm not done yet…" The room began to shake as more chakra leaked out through the bars. Naruto stumbled back. Something was shifting. The fox-demon's chakra was suddenly foreign to him. It was filled with an overwhelming, unbridled bloodlust, completely different from the Kyuubi's anger before.

"Wh-what's going on here?" Naruto whispered. "This isn't supposed to – hey!" He looked down and saw strange chains of chakra binding him to the seal. He was certain now. Whatever control that he had, it was gone. Furious, he glared into the cage. "You damn fox! What the hell is this?"

The Kyuubi laughed low in his chest. "Don't fight your rage, brat. Feed it! Use it to fuel our power." His eyes took on a hungry look. "Come… Let us kill – destroy!"

There was nothing that Naruto could do. He was overcome by the Kyuubi's superior strength of will and power. Dazed, the blonde watched as an arrow of chakra shot into his abdomen, striking deep into the seal on his stomach, which burned at the contact. It hurt terribly. And still there was nothing he could do. Not even struggle. He was riveted by the demon's chakra; by those sinister eyes that held him paralyzed like a mouse before a snake. A strange, wrenching feeling in his body caused Naruto to tremble in fear. He wasn't sure how, but he was certain that more and more of the demon was being drawn out of the seal. And even with his developed resistance to the fox's chakra, he could only take so much… Naruto fell to his knees, trying desperately to control the feeling of despair. The demon laughed again.

"Now," he growled. "Look through my eyes, as I destroy all that ever hurt you…" Naruto had no other choice, anyway. He squeezed his eyes shut against the sudden pressure of chakra, and gritted his teeth against his fear. When he opened them again, it was to see the world through a red haze – and to see someone very precious to him fighting for his life.

**********

Yamato had been terrified when the number 5 burned dark in his palm. It was even worse than he feared. Four tails had been more than enough last time. And for Naruto to lose himself again… he must have been desperate. Or very, very angry. Kakashi, of course, seemed to realize what was wrong right away. His visible eye widened at the subtle shift of chakra in the air, and he looked at Yamato in alarm. After a hasty and breathless conversation, they ran on, even faster than before; driven by icy fear as they prepared for what lay ahead. There was no way it would be good.

Yamato ground his teeth together as the chakra just ahead grew stronger and stronger. He could easily feel it now, and it worried him. This chakra wasn't what he expected. And when he thought about it, he had doubts that it was even something that his own seal placed on Naruto could recognize. '_No wonder… but what the hell is happening?_'

"We've made it." Sakura stated, strangely calm. She was gazing fixedly ahead through the thick branches as she quickened her pace even further. Yamato swallowed and nodded, steadying himself, despite his breakneck speed and heart-pounding nerves. There, just ahead, they could see the Kyuubi's chakra, moving like bloody smoke between the trees. Just a little further, and they'll be right in the middle of it. They could only hope that they were ready.

And that's when they heard the scream.

**********

Somehow, Sasuke had been expecting the attack. He could see it in the subtle shift in the fox demon's body as he looked up from the broken body of Pain. The shedding of blood had excited the demon, and whatever control Naruto had, whatever self-restraint held the Kyuubi back, it was gone. Fevered red eyes met Sasuke's own, and then it was over.

Once again, the Sharingan saved the Uchiha from what would have been a certain death. With as much speed as he could muster, Sasuke dived to one side, narrowly avoiding first a clawed fist, and then a lashing tail. He pushed himself to his feet, and once again had to dive out of the way of a vicious attack. Again and again Sasuke dodged, his body pushed way beyond its limit, trying desperately to keep up with the incredible speed and insight of his crimson eyes.

The Kyuubi snarled with rage as his attacks continued to miss their target. His movements were becoming more erratic now, driven mad by the smell of blood. It was hardly an advantage for Sasuke, however. If anything, it made matters worse as the demon's attacks only became more powerful, and as his chakra level continued to rise at an alarming rate. And with a rush of horror, Sasuke saw that a sixth tail was emerging.

"Naruto," he choked, diving out of the way of a blow that crumbled the earth beneath it. "What's happening to you?" The Kyuubi's furious roar almost deafened him, and he had to duck to avoid another swinging tail. "_Shit!_" he hissed. "The _hell_ is the matter with you, dobe?!"

Sasuke's fear and worry was like a vice around his chest. Naruto was in serious trouble. He couldn't take this anymore.

With a rush of energy he didn't know he even had anymore, Sasuke rushed forward and slammed his fist into the Kyuubi's jaw with as much force as he could.

"Snap out of it, Naruto!" he snarled.

Caught by surprise, the demon fell back, knocked off his feet. With an angry snarl, however, he spun around and caught himself with his tails. In one smooth motion, he swung forward on all fours and crouched down, glaring at Sasuke with pure venomous hatred in his eyes. Sasuke glared back, breathing hard. The Kyuubi's lips pulled back into a snarl, and his entire body tensed, preparing for another deadly attack. Sasuke was about to take a step back when he saw it. It was just for a moment, but a strange flicker of something crossed the fox's eyes. Sasuke took in a breath as recognition hit him. '_Naruto, is that y --_'

Nothing could have prevented the scream that tore through Sasuke's throat. He suddenly found himself pinned against a rock, a vicious, clawed hand at his neck, and the most horrible, burning sensation at his stomach. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Sasuke looked up into the eyes of the demon fox, who had regained control over himself.

With numb hands, Sasuke reached up in one last desperate attempt to save his life, and formed a short series of hand seals. And then, very slowly, he reached his arm up, hand outstretched, praying that his attack would form in time. Somewhere behind him, he thought he heard someone shouting, but it all seemed very far away.

The Kyuubi, meanwhile, hadn't moved. His hand still gripped Sasuke's throat tightly, but his body had gone rigid. And his eyes… they were squeezed shut as he took in shallow, ragged breaths.

"No," he hissed. Sasuke looked up, eyes wide. It was Naruto's voice. "Sasuke…" The clawed hand released his throat as the demon stumbled back, snarling.

"You!" the fox snarled, snapping his head to one side. It was the Kyuubi's voice again. He was on all fours now, claws digging into the earth, tails whipping around furiously. His chakra wavered, unstable with the conflicting sources of power within its source. And then the demon's form lifted his head and looked Sasuke straight in the eye. Sasuke gaped, stunned at what he saw.

It was the Mangekyu Sharingan.

**********

"Sasuke…!" Naruto's voice came out in a choked sob as he saw, through the Kyuubi's eyes, his most precious person diving away from an attack again and again. The demon's low laughter mocked his pain.

"That's it, brat," he hissed. "Feel your pain and anger building --"

The sudden punch to the face caught the Kyuubi by surprise. And for just a moment, Naruto seized control. He saw Sasuke, exhausted and bleeding, through clear eyes. But it lasted for only a moment. With an angry snarl from the demon, his eyes clouded over in a red haze once again, and he could only watch, helpless, as the Kyuubi made one more attack, pinning Sasuke against a rock.

When he saw that, his most precious person about to die, Naruto lost it.

"Sasuke!" he screamed, "_Sasuke!!_" He lost all sense of everything else, even the Kyuubi, as he screamed the Uchiha's name over and over, his heart swelling with the unbearable urge to protect him, no matter what the cost.

With a roar of rage the Kyuubi brought him back to the chamber holding the seal, but Naruto barely noticed. Cursing, crying, he thrashed around, straining against the chains that bound him to the seal. And every pull caused those chains to crack, to give just a little more, until with one final heave, he broke free. And then he heard a voice, soft and calm inside his head.

"_Well done…_" Naruto went rigid, recognizing the voice at once. '_Itachi…?_' He felt, swelling within him, a large, dark reserve of power spreading, like soft crow wings. And even though he couldn't see it, Naruto could swear he felt the owner of that voice smiling. "_Now go and protect my little brother… My only little brother…_"

Naruto took in a deep breath as the power enveloped him completely. Somehow, though he had no idea why, the blonde knew what to do. He opened his eyes, and stared right at the Kyuubi behind the bars of the cage. And then he spoke, giving the fox one final, simple command.

"Enough."

**********

Sakura caught Sasuke as he fell forward He was clutching at the gaping wound in his abdomen, and was still staring, transfixed, at what Sakura could only guess was Naruto. His arm was still outstretched, now reaching toward the demon's form. His eyes never left the fox's face, who's eyes met his own. They were staring at each other, motionless, with that strange and powerful blood limit. Sakura blinked. '_Wait, did Naruto's eyes just --?_'

"Brother…?" Sasuke whispered. His voice was soft and broken, barely audible.

Sakura frowned and bit her lip as she began to lay him down. "Sasuke-kun --"

"Sasuke-kun!!" Sakura's head snapped up at the woman's voice just in time. Several kunai ripped through the air out of nowhere, and she had to dive out of the way, leaping away from the Uchiha's still form. Behind her, Kakashi and Yamato cursed as three figures leapt down from the trees and came to a stop, right between them and Sasuke.

"You Konoha filth aren't getting any nearer to our Sasuke," the kunoichi stated. She was glaring at Sakura.

"Or Naruto," her larger teammate added. He stepped to the side, closer to the blonde's still, fox-like form.

Sakura's eyes narrowed at the challenge, even as her head swam with confusion. 'Our_ Sasuke? And Naruto?_'

Kakashi took a step forward, palms held up. "Now listen, we're not --"

"Stay back!" the third shinobi snapped. He raised his large, bandage-clad sword threateningly. Kakashi stopped dead.

"That sword," he murmured. "Isn't that… Samehada?"

The shinobi grinned, revealing sharp teeth. "Don't give me an excuse to use it, now."

Sakura clenched her hands into fists. "Oh come on, stop this already! We're here for our teammates! Now get out of the way, they're both hurt!"

The kunoichi raised an eyebrow and crouched down beside Sasuke. "_Your_ teammates?" Sakura opened her mouth to make a scathing reply, but was interrupted by the swordsman.

"Oho, so you're Sasuke and Naruto's old team?" he asked, grinning. "Interesting, very interesting." He widened his stance, eager for battle, when his larger teammate glanced sideways at him.

"Suigetsu, calm down. This isn't the time."

Suigetsu snorted. "And who are you to be the boss here?"

Ignoring them, Yamato made his way carefully to where Naruto lay on the ground. The Kyuubi's chakra was rapidly dispersing, falling away from the blonde's body in dark, crimson layers like thick smoke. Naruto's eyes were slowly drifting closed, hiding the Sharingan. His face lined with surprise and worry, Yamato hurried forward, but Juugo was quick to block him.

"I told you. You're not getting anywhere near him."

Yamato glared at the taller shinobi. "Naruto needs help. Out of my way. Now." The other man didn't move. Yamato's eyes hardened, and he began to slowly pull out a katana strapped to his back. "Then I've got no choice…"

Kakashi, meanwhile, had to leap out of the way of Suigetsu's attack, which shattered the earth where he'd been standing only a moment ago. Without any hesitation, the copy ninja moved with effortless speed, and disappeared, only to reappear again, very close to the sword bearer.

"Forget it," he said quietly. "You all are too tired for this. You've already been fighting --"

He was cut off as Suigetsu swung around, lifting Samehada in a high arc before slamming it into the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Kakashi slid to a stop further back, and threw several katana with blinding speed. Suigetsu lifted his sword just in time to block them, cursing.

"You're outmatched," Kakashi stated, calmly.

Suigetsu growled and shouted a response, but Sakura wasn't listening. She was striding confidently to where the shinobi with glasses was crouched protectively over Sasuke. Sakura raised her fist threateningly.

"Your turn," she stated, glaring. "Now move it." Her opponent's eyes narrowed as she stood up again, moving as though to shield Sasuke.

"I'm not going anywhere," she snapped. She was bleeding and taking in frequent, shallow breaths, but stood her ground. For the span of a few seconds, no one moved. All six shinobi faced each other, sizing each other up, their bodies tense and trembling with deadly intent.

They were so fiercely focused in that moment, that no one noticed a dark figure leaping at Naruto, or that Sasuke was on his feet, desperately running to the blonde's side. No one noticed anything in those brief, crucial moments, until the heavens split apart.

**********

"Brother…?" He could barely force the words out, but Sasuke didn't care. He was surprised, relieved, but most of all transfixed by those eyes that he thought he'd never see again. He knew it was Itachi. It had to be.

All around him, the Uchiha could sense his teammates, both old and new, standing nearby. Someone was shouting something, but he hardly noticed. His entire world revolved around those eyes that were so much like his own. He didn't know what was going on, but he felt oddly comforted. Whatever the reason, those eyes saved his – and Naruto's – life.

Sasuke winced at the buildup of electric power smothering the area. It all hung in a precarious balance, needing release. Sasuke had only to focus it, to release it with the chakra still built up in his hand, but there was nowhere to direct it. Sasuke's breath let out in a hiss as Naruto – no, Itachi's – eyes drifted closed. He looked at his outstretched hand. He no longer needed *Kirin, Naruto had seen to that. He just needed to find a way to release it…

Dark movement behind Naruto caught his eye. Sasuke's head snapped up in alarm. '_No way…_'

It was Nagato.

The Uchiha's body shook as he tried to push himself up, filled with a new rush of adrenaline. This was bad. How could the guy survive an attack from the Kyuubi like that? But there was no time to wonder. Silently, and with incredible speed, Nagato rushed forward, his katana drawn and aimed right at Naruto.

'_Naruto!!_'

With more speed than he could have possibly had at that moment, Sasuke rushed to his teammate's side, bringing his right arm down in a slashing motion as he did so.

It was the most devastating Kirin that he had ever released. The blinding lightning attack hit its mark perfectly, engulfing Nagato's body before the ninja had even blinked. With a deafening crack, and then a roar, the bolt of light expanded and grew in intensity, feeding off the massive buildup of energy in the clearing. It was meant to be a fast attack, hardly lasting more than a moment, but in that short time, it felt like the most powerful thing imaginable. Like the plane between earth and sky was being wrenched apart. Shutting his eyes tightly, Sasuke lay on the ground, trying to shield Naruto's body with his own, even if there was nothing he could do. The lightning was out of his control now.

Just as suddenly it began, the flash of light was over. It left in its wake a hushed and amazed quiet.

With a soft groan, Sasuke rolled to one side. He energy was completely spent now. There was nothing left. Warm, soft earth seemed to reach out, grounding the Uchiha's worn body. Sasuke turned his head and focused his gaze on Naruto's face as his vision dimmed. He smiled. Naruto's own eyes, a deep blue, opened and met his. The blonde also smiled. They said nothing, neither of them had the strength, but there was no need to. The warm fire burned brightly between them, and they both knew that, for once, they had everything they wanted; found in each other.

**********

* Kirin: Named after a mythical creature in Japanese lore (i think)

a/n: Just about done! Thank you thank you thank you for your patience! One more chapter left, I think, just to tie it all together! :) And thank you very much for reading this!


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